Acting On Stage
by CeceVolume
Summary: AU. Tori is in her junior year at Hollywood Arts University, but she forgot one of her general education classes: Acting On Stage 216. When she meets a guy determined to drive her crazy there, what is the jaded beauty supposed to do? RATING SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Bori. Slight Bade, Jandre, and Cabbie.
1. Call Me Maybe

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Victorious.

Chapter One  
_Call Me Maybe_

As a junior at one of the best performing arts colleges in the country—Hollywood Arts Universtiy—you'd think Victoria "Tori" Vega would be a little more confident in herself. That she could walk into a group of people she had never met and easily charm her way into their hearts. To be involved in the film, music, or theatre industries, one had to have a certain...air to them. One that came off as strong and outgoing. A real people person.

Instead, the brunette walked into her first class of the day—the last acting class she was required to take—with shaking hands and a nervous smile. She had completely forgotten about the "gen. ed." class; the last time she'd taken a acting elective was in her first semester of freshman year. Because of this, she recognized no one, except a couple of people that had tried out for parts in musicals and used the music building's stage to practice. It did not inspire confidence that none of them seemed to recognize her, either. Not that she expected them to.

She was too used to the easy-going manner of the music program and its students. She had been so surrounded by it for the last two-and-a-half years that she almost forgot about the other possible majors in the school. Now, she noticed dramatic expressions of interest from the other girls in the room as they whispered animatedly behind their hands.

The smiles they threw her looked genuine, but that was the thing about actors; they were trained to trick you into believing something that wasn't true. And something about them made her think that they were making fun of her.

Glancing around the slightly cramped room, she tried to find a seat that was relatively out of the way, something to keep her under the radar, at least. She really didn't want the professor to pick on her if he did decide to pick "volunteers"; the more inconspicuous she could be in a class that she didn't really want to be in, the better.

"Excuse me, but are you in the right room?"

Jumping slightly, she spun on her heel, coffee in one hand and books tucked under the other arm. She nearly slammed into the guy who had spoken then—a tall, well-muscled guy—and let her head fall back to catch his eyes, opening her mouth to apologize.

_Holy. Crap._

Olive skin paired well with his shiny black hair, which waved in its long state. Dark eyes flashed with kindness and a white, even smile lingered on his face. Handsome? Hell yes he was. And his clothes were the perfect style and fit to show off his great physique. Though he was in no way a body builder, it was obvious that he knew his way around a gym with a build that most other men would probably kill for. Was that drool coming out of her mouth?

"Uhm...uh...this is," she began, shifting everything in her arms around to check her handwritten schedule once more, "...Acting On Stage 216 with Professor Sikowitz, isn't it?" Tori chewed nervously on her lip, hoping she hadn't made such a mistake in front of all the snooty girls that she knew were still watching her. _Please, please, let this be the right room,_ she thought. _This has got to be the right place; Andre gave me the directions to get here!_

He smiled down at her and her heart beat wildly in her chest. Why had she decided to go comfy today? Of all the days to wear her complete geek outfit, it had to be the day she talked to a guy that looked like he'd walked right off a magazine spread! Sweatpants and old tennis shoes paired with a Homecoming T-shirt from her sophomore year in high school wasn't her best choice. And piling all of her long, chocolate brown hair on top of her head wasn't her most glamorous look. But she'd woken up late and didn't want to waste any time putting on makeup or picking out something awesome. Instead, she'd put on her glasses, the first thing that she grabbed out of her closet, and hit the road.

A chuckle escaped his lips, spreading through her like wildfire and bringing a slight flush to her face. "Well, I guess you're in the right place." His smile broadened as he took in her disheveled appearance. "You just looked a little too...psyched out to be in a Sikowitz class." As she sputtered in response, he bowed low, ushering her into the second row of chairs like a true gentleman. "After you," he added huskily as he turned his gaze up to hers.

Tori blinked at him, her blush growing steadily. "Uhm, actually I was hoping to be a little less...noticeable than that," she answered quietly as the room began filling up even further. Her eyes darted to and fro, not missing the number of pretty girls throwing flirting sideways glances towards her companion. "I think I'd rather just sit in the back," she said, starting to move around him.

The stranger rose to his full height once more, a questioning look on his face. "Have you ever had a class with Sikowitz? Going to the back of the class is like putting a huge sign over your head and offering him money to pick on you." He smiled wolfishly as she shook her head in the negative, taking a step closer to her. Leaning down just enough to confirm his presence in her space, he murmured into her ear, "A virgin, huh?"

As the heat that crept across her face exploded in redness, she was suddenly hit by a sense of deja vu. It reminded her that not all pretty people were nice, that not every boy that spoke to a girl had good intentions. She straightened, forcing her performing persona to come to the surface. She wasn't about to be made fun of. "What's that supposed to mean?" Of course, he'd hit the nail right on the head with that comment and she couldn't keep the slight shake of embarrassment in her voice.

He backed away with his hands in the air as if he were shocked by where her mind went, though he wore a shit-eating grin as he did so. "Hey, I was just talking about not being in a Sikowitz class. Everything else that you might not have experienced is none of my business." His wink, however, added a silent, "Yet," to the statement.

She went rigid, thinking back to all the times that she had been made fun of by Ryder for something like that. Anger blossomed within her, warning her that she was stepping into dangerous territory within her own mind. She needed to get a grip.

Schooling her features, she forced herself to hold the air of a queen. "Well, it was nice talking to you and all, but class starts any minute and I have yet to find a seat." Gripping her books tighter beneath her arms, she moved around him to the fourth row, far enough away to feel as if she had made her statement quite clearly.

Plopping down in the seat, she set her books on the ground next to her chair—no desks in an acting class—sipping her coffee as her stubborn gaze met his amused one. No way was she going to let that guy get the better of her! She might be blushing like a teenage girl—who could blame her?—but she was a twenty-one year old woman, damnit! She could get past all of this, she knew.

Her eyes followed him as he sat down in his own seat, directly in front of her. When he slouched comfortably, throwing his head over the back, she was a little shocked to find a grin on his lips as he watched her in return.

_Don't break eye contact,_ she told herself, though she desperately wanted to avert her gaze. _You don't believe in hypnotism, remember?_ So, they sat like that, her glaring at him while he showed nothing but interest. To keep herself focused on anything but how gorgeous he was—even upside down—she pictured Ryder in her head, how he had ruined her senior year in high school with nothing more than words. This guy was no better, she was sure; he was looking for a conquest, someone that would be a challenge.

Except she wasn't so susceptible to that anymore.

The backdoor to the room suddenly swung open with a bang as it hit the wall, a balding man bursting in. Her eyes immediately broke with her new annoyance as he too looked forward to sweep over the new man, immediately knowing that this was the professor she'd been waiting for.

The hair he did have was long and curly, brushing almost to his shoulders. If she hadn't known better, she'd think he was a hipster with the crazy clothes he was wearing, but some instinct told her that he was just that strange.

"Hello, air-breathers!" he called in a booming voice, arms opening dramatically to welcome them. He took the step onto the stage with routine ease, turning to the class. Squinting at them, he said loudly, "I see quite a few of you from my other classes. Good! But for everyone else, I am"—he gave an exaggerated bow—"Sikowitz."

She snuck glances around the room, trying to pick out the faces of any other newbies. Unfortunately, she wasn't that terribly great at reading expressions, so she had no idea who might be as uncomfortable as she was, a possible ally within this foreign territory.

Somehow, her eyes disobeyed her and became re-glued to the back of the gorgeous guy's head, though she tried to force them away. She wasn't about to get stuck on a guy who obviously just wanted to use her. No, thank you. She'd had enough of that for a lifetime.

"So," Sikowitz continued, clapping his hands together to draw all attention back to him, "today we'll just do some quick introductions to get to know our fellow actors and actresses better! I've recently run out of coconuts and am already having withdrawal symptoms." His words were easy and crisp as he sat on the edge of the stage, watching them expectantly.

Was she the only person that didn't understand what he meant by that?

"I'll call off your name and you'll stand, give us the name you go by, your year and program, and then one quirky thing about yourself." Digging an incredibly crumpled piece of paper—the roll call page, she assumed—out of his pocket, he began calling off names, checking them off his list as they gave the necessary information. A few hadn't shown up; that meant that they were automatically dropped from the class.

She learned that she was one of the few non-actors to take a Sikowitz class. Was he really so renowned at this school? If so, why hadn't she known who he was beforehand? She'd been in a couple of the musicals over the past few years, though they required more of a head for music than acting.

Could he be the "tough" professor her Acting 101 professor had warned her class about way back when?

"Oliver comma Beckett," he announced. His head immediately shot up, instantly landing on her mystery man. "You're in two of my classes this semester, Beck? Are you sure that's wise?" He spoke as if it were an inside joke between the two of them; meaning the guy from earlier was probably BFFs with the prof.

Great.

Beck stood, hands in his pockets comfortably as her eyes dug holes in his back. "Yeah, it seemed like a good idea at the time," he answered with a shrug. Girls throughout the room tittered at the movement, as if it were the best thing they'd ever seen. _Idiots,_ she thought to herself, though she couldn't help being intrigued by what he might say. "Anyways, I go by Beck," he said, glancing around the room. "I'm a senior in the acting program here. Something interesting about me..." He glanced over his shoulder at Tori, catching her eyes. That disarming half-smile came to his lips while his gaze held hers steadily. "I've got a thing for blushing brunettes."

Her eyes widened and blood rushed to her face once again. As every face—male and female—in the room turned towards her, she gritted her teeth, throwing Beck a glare as he sat down. _Go to hell_, she sent telepathically.

As if he _could_ read her mind, he winked at her once again.

"Won't lie, Beck," Sikowitz cut in, interrupting their non-verbal battle. Everyone turned back to him, as if expecting the best reaction from him. "That was pretty personal. I like it; people find it easier to act with someone they can understand a bit."

Beck looked back to their professor with another haphazard shrug. "You asked for something quirky; I was just giving you what you asked for."

"Touche, Beckford!" Sikowitz bellowed as chuckles erupted from him. His features immediately fell into a more natural position and he went back to calling out names, drawing ever nearer to hers.

Why was her heart still beating so wildly in her chest? There was no way she could be attracted to a guy like Beck Oliver, someone who had called her out in front of the entire class—most of which seemed to be his fanclub. No, this was about what a jerk he was and how embarrassed she was. _That_ was why she felt so hot as she remembered his husky voice as he'd breathed the dreaded V-word in her ear. It didn't have anything to do with imaginary arousal towards him.

"Victoria Vega."

Pulled from her thoughts, she hastily stood, nearly knocking over her chair in her haste. Ignoring the murmurs around her—yes, from all those girls that had smiled at her in the beginning—she once again donned her confident alterego. "I'm Tori. I'm a junior in the music program and I _don't _go for guys with big, hot-air-filled heads." Sitting back down, she caught Beck's laughing look and threw him an expression that was quite obvious in its no-way tendencies.

Sikowitz glanced between the two, shaking his head with confusion at the exchange. It was apparent he didn't care for young adult mating rituals in the least. Continuing with the last few names on his list, he let the class go just after Aaden Zyne said his peace, waving them off in a bored fashion. "Go off, children! Take your hormones elsewhere!"

Standing quickly, she snatched up her books, intending a hasty retreat. She wasn't even trying to pretend that she hadn't realized how stupid her little outburst had been; no doubt she was only stoking the fire. Hadn't she been told once before that a guy would back off if it was indifference that he was met with instead of hate? But that didn't mean that, for the four hours a week that she would spend in that class, she would keep letting herself get corner by Beck. No way. She was going to keep away from him as much as possible.

Besides, her embarrassment was enough for one day, wasn't it?

Tossing her empty cup of coffee away just beside the door, Tori stepped into the over-crowded hallway. It made her remember her days as a freshman as bodies slammed into her from all sides. _I forgot all about the acting department being full of hustle and bustle. All of these people are constantly in competition with each other._

Gritting her teeth against the onslaught, she tried to weave her way through the hall, only to have an Amazon warrior slam into her head on, knocking one of her books from its careful perch beneath her arm.

She sighed, starting to bend to pick it up when a now-annoyingly-familiar head bent, snatching it off the floor.

After a moment, Beck straightened, holding the book out for her to take. "Dropped something," he said, stepping closer to her to help block the flow of students. His eyes searched hers hesitantly, though the rest of his face was grinning coolly. "I don't suppose you'd like to reward my chivalrous actions with a quick coffee date?"

Was that a hopeful light in his face?

She felt the word "yes" on her tongue, just about to dive off the tip. Stopping herself, she wondered if she could really believe that he was different. Wasn't every guy always "different" until he pushed a girl too far? And did she even really _want_ to go out on any sort of date with Beck Oliver, even a friendly coffee date?

Shaking her head, she brought her books closer to her chest. "Sorry," she apologized insincerely. "I've got a class in just a few minutes. Gotta go." Then she blended into the crowd, running away.

Knowing that he was aware of her cowardice—since, technically, Sikowitz's class wasn't done for another half-hour—she still fled, going into the library. She found one of the solo study computers in a back room, locking herself inside.

But when she put her books down on the table, she noticed a small piece of folded paper tucked inside one, barely poking out enough for her to notice. Quickly, she pulled it out, wondering if maybe it was something left within from a previous owner.

_Just in case you change your mind, Tori Vega.  
Beck  
xxx-xxx-xxxx__  
_

Eyes wide, she stuffed the paper into her pocket hastily, feeling that burning come back to her face. How had he known that she would say no? There was no way he'd gotten that note in there after she'd turned him down, no way he'd written it. Was she really so easy to read?

Would she actually text him?


	2. Love Game

**Disclaimer: **I do not own "What Doesn't Kill You" by Kelly Clarkson.  
**Note:** I do not put the full lyrics in here. That would add far too much to the story. However, she does sing the whole song, so if you don't know the song, please go check out the lyrics.

Chapter Two  
_Love Game_

In the end, Tori didn't text him. Not that she would have had any time to even contemplate it, of course, since she not only had a full class and work load, but also had to get ready for an audition to be a part of a show the school was putting on. Almost all of her substantially small free time was spent working with one of her roommates—Andre Harris—on the song and she'd easily avoided Beck at the end of the class on Tuesday.

But now, after her one Acting On Stage free day, it was Thursday and her mind couldn't help wandering to him as she worried idly about what song she would sing. Now that she'd started working—real working, not just goofing around—with her incredibly talented best friend, she didn't know what else to think about.

Certainly not work or the fact that her parents kept trying to get her to go back home that weekend.

Which, sadly, left only one thing in her life to really think about: Beck Oliver.

Andre, as well as their other two roommates Cat Valentine and Robbie Shapiro, knew quite a bit about Beck, by either working with him on productions or knowing him personally. As a composer as well as performer, Andre helped with a lot of the musical stuff for the college's plays. Robbie was major in Theatre Tech and was probably the best at what he did on the entire campus—he could run backstage all by himself. Cat, however, was good friends with his ex-girlfriend from their freshman year, which meant she had the juiciest details.

Of course, all three of them had told her flat out that he was a good guy, but not one to get involved with. Since his first girlfriend, Jade West, he was a notorious never-date.

Apparently, he'd decided that girlfriends weren't his thing.

Which didn't mean anything to Tori, of course. It only solidified the fact that she couldn't go after him—ever. She was a commitment kind of girl, not someone who could be happy with a fling. And she liked it that way; she was less likely to get hurt then.

Now, as she sat in the same spot she had for the last two class periods, she leaned back in her seat. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath, really needing to relax. Maybe she could get the group to go out for drinks later that night. God knew she needed it. The first week back from Winter Break was always the worst; Friday always seemed so far away.

"This seat taken?"

Eyes flying to his amused face, she tried to control her voice, to make it haughty. "If it was, you wouldn't care much, would you?" Was that her squeaking? Oh, good, she was worse than a squirrel! To avoid having to see that charming look on his face as she blushed, she turned her eyes forward, crossing her arms over her chest and adding, "Besides, I'm not much for lying."

_At least today I don't look like a lost hobo,_ she congratulated herself within her head. If she was going to have to deal with him, she was glad that she was wearing her confidence-boosting attire.

She'd let her hair down in its natural loose curls, knowing it would frame a face with minimal make-up coverage without prompting. She wore her contacts since her glasses would have clashed with the all-out clothes she wore.

It was a carefully chosen ensemble, too, though she refused to admit aloud that he was part of the reason for it. Hell no she wasn't trying to show him she wasn't some ragamuffin; she had an audition that she had to look the part for! What was she supposed to do?

She wore a black leather jacket atop a maroon tank-top and dark blue skinny jeans that fit her just right. Black ankle-boot-heels completed the outfit, making her more confident than she usually felt because they were _perfect_. A long, dangling silver locket fell just below her breasts, though she'd once melded it shut in her rebellious phase in high school. Matching hoop earrings swayed in her ears, though they didn't bother her in the least.

Unfortunately, her foray into confidence was proving to have an effect she hadn't counted on: Beck's eyes rarely left her.

"At least now you're being honest," he said with a smile. "Finally." His voice was dramatically breathy and humor lightened his tone.

How easy to get lost in that voice of his...

Snapping herself out of it, she glanced out of the corner of her eye at him, seeing him relax back in his chair as she said nothing. Of course, she had to bite her tongue to do so, otherwise she might start making awkward small talk with him. Which would be the stupidest thing she could do. She kept her eyes—and focus—turned towards the stage stubbornly, praying that Sikowitz would come to her indirect, timely rescue.

At that moment, as if she'd summoned him, the eccentric professor appeared, coconut in hand.

_Thank you, professor!_ Tori silently cheered, smiling a little to herself. Beck wouldn't dare talk to her in the middle of class. Not with Sikowitz.

"Pair up!" he shouted without hesitation, making her smug grin drop from her face. "We're doing Alphabet Improv exercises today! Each pair will go through the alphabet once—or until one messes up—starting with the first letter of the oldest person's last name. Anyone that can't make it through the cycle once has to bring in a coconut for each letter they didn't get to." Clapping his hands together, he called out, "Go!"

Tori tensed, hating this kind of thing. It was always so hard for her to find someone to pair up so early in the semester, especially when she knew next to no one. As she watched the others pairing up, she realized that if she didn't act quickly, she was going to find herself stuck with—

"Don't worry; you can partner up with me," Beck said easily from beside her. He gave her a smile as she flashed him a dark look. God, he was too good at the whole charming thing. "I'll make sure you don't get lost in letters."

As she opened her mouth to retort—hoping that it would be witty, though she had no idea what she would say—Sikowitz shouted, "You all have partners? All right, Liam Alexander and his partner are up first!" He waved the two men up to the front, signaling for them to begin whenever they were ready.

Now, however, she didn't have the chance to argue over who her partner should be. Instead, she just whispered, "Don't screw it up; I can't afford to buy him a bunch of coconuts." She was proud to say that her voice was stronger than it had been other times she'd gone up against him. Of course, the smile that came over his face was almost enough to make her blush again.

The groups moved quickly, most of them failing, leaving Tori more and more nervous about her own turn up there. She had to do so much just to keep afloat—she was one of the only people she knew that wasn't getting help from their parents for college—and having to pay for her professor's strange addiction wasn't something she enjoyed. Besides, she was the type that didn't like being in trouble; she didn't like the feeling of it.

"Our last group today is..." Sikowitz began, checking the last two names that weren't crossed off on his list. His eyes widened before he looked up, gaze interested and observant. "Beck and Tori. Let's see what they've got," he murmured as he sat back down, fingers laced together in front of his face.

Beck led Tori to the stage. For a moment, he was turned away from her before spinning back around with his hand outstretched. "Oliver comma Beck," he said as his eyes held hers.

Was he challenging her? Oh, she wasn't going down without a fight! Taking his hand determinedly, she gave him a brief smile. "Pleased to meet you. People call me Tori."

"Quite pretty name, Tori," he answered, stepping closer to invade her personal space, something she was growing too used to him doing. But why was he still holding her hand? To trap her as he looked her up and down like a horse he hoped to buy?

Breaking the touch quickly, she brought her palms to his chest, pushing him a step back so she could breathe once again. "Really shouldn't stand so close to me," she practically growled, trying to calm the twitter in her throat that threatened to overtake her. _Deep breaths, Vega,_ she reminded herself as she threw her shoulders back.

He raised an eyebrow at this, trapping the hand that laid over his heart against his chest. Moving closer once more, he asked, "Shouldn't I? So you want me to pull away?"

Was he really going to play this game? Did he think she was some sort of idiot? She wasn't going to fall for some well-planned seduction; she had better things to worry about than a possible college romance. If she could believe her sources, she might even be performing in front of talent scouts in just a few weeks; no time to think about a boy that left her breathing heavily—_in frustration_.

"That would be a definite yes. Thanks for understanding," she retorted with narrowed eyes, unable to make her gaze leave his. What the hell was going on? Why didn't she fight a little harder to keep from being his partner? She definitely didn't enjoy this...whatever he was doing.

Smirk widening, Beck practically purred, "Unless you're lying."

Sikowitz then cut in with a dramatic, "Ooo," watching the exchange with a significant amount of interest. "The _tension_!" he whispered in astonishment, almost to himself. "You can actually _feel _it!"

Ignoring the eccentric professor, Tori countered, "Very funny, since I'm not a liar." She took a step back, watching Beck carefully. When his gaze flared, she suddenly felt like a bunny being stalked by a very large wolf, trembling a bit at the feeling of being the prey. Again, this was not something she enjoyed to any extent.

Chuckling low as that predatory heat filled his features, he matched each of her retreating steps, keeping them at the same distance they'd been at and following her around the stage. "Why are you so afraid of me, then?" he asked, completely catching her off-guard.

"X-ray your head, idiot!" she shouted, nervous energy filling her. Was she really so easy to read?

"You could have fooled me," he murmured in return, taking in her face with strange intensity, as if he could see so much farther inside her than she wanted him to be able to.

Turning away from him and throwing her arms over her head, she cried, "Zeus help us not be swallowed by your ego!" She gave a few low chuckles, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nice 'Z'!" the professor piped in, clapping his hands in applause. He pointed his finger at Beck, adding, "Now, go to 'A'!"

Laughter erupted from Beck as well, his shoulders shaking like they were being rocked by an earthquake. "At least I'm not lying to myself. All you have to do is tell me the truth," he chided in a sing-song voice, nearly driving her mental. The way he antagonized her was going to make her go insane one of these days.

So, she decided it was time to push his buttons. _I am woman, hear me roar,_ she thought to herself, turning back around to stride up to him. With a pleasant, friendly grin plastered to her face, she said, "But you do, thinking every girl will fall at your feet just because you're you. Boy, you must have a pretty over-inflated ego to believe that!" She was toe-to-toe with him, smiling mockingly up into his slightly shocked face.

He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. "Care to elaborate on that?" Was that anger that colored his tone?

"Don't play dumb, Beck," she replied with a certain amount of disgust. Her arms stayed folded and she cocked her hip to one side, the epitome of female annoyance. "Do you really think, just because you're sexy, that girls everywhere will drop at your feet?"

A bright, playful smile graced his lips. "Exactly; you think I'm sexy. Entirely closed that case."

Dropping the act and completely loosening up, Tori sputtered, "Forget it!" She spun away again, intending to stomp off.

"Got a problem?" he asked with a laugh.

"His name is Beckett Oliver," she snapped over her shoulder, seething.

He smirked, closing the distance between them to murmur, "I have an idea to fix that." Turning her back around to face him, he added, "It'll be something you like, I promise."

She gave him a hard glare. "Just leave me alone."

"Kiss me and I will."

The whole room froze as his words hung in the air; Tori felt the breath sucked right out of her lungs, as if everything were collapsing around her. Had he really just suggest she...she _kiss_ him? In front of everyone? What was she supposed to do? Shaking off the worst of her shock, she stammered, "L-let's not and say we did!"

"Man, you really are scared!" All of his laughing at her discomfort was starting to seriously annoy her.

She took a deep breath, watching him with a hard look. _Keep control, breathe deep. Don't let him get to you._ "No, I'm not. Now you should know I just don't like you."

"Bravo!" Sikowitz clapped, standing to turn to the class. "See that? True stage chemistry! For tomorrow, be prepared—"

Beck interrupted, challenging her. "Okay, prove it!"

Taking the challenge, Tori mocked his laughter. "Pucker up for you? Puh-lease, I'd rather kiss a tail pipe." There was no way that she was going to let him get away with this, with trying to make her feel like a fool in front of their entire class. This wasn't the end, not by a long shot!

"Quit making excuses, Scaredy-Cat."

Scaredy-Cat? Did he seriously just call her something a fourth grader would consider childish? "Right now, I'm just trying to keep from hitting you!" Anger unlike anything she'd felt in far too long spread through her and she honestly was considering punching him right in that glaring smile of his.

"So scared of me," he muttered. "Suppose I'm flattered by it."

"That's not it! That kiss wouldn't be worth my time!"

He chuckled. "Unless you stop snarking at me, I'm not going to believe you."

With a frustrated groan, Tori threw up her hands, storming off the stage. "I'm done! I'm not going to play this game with you!" Going back to her chair, she snatched up her things as the others in the room stared in quiet disbelief. Ducking out the door, she didn't bother to close the door softly behind her, reveling in the loud slam. It made her feel as if she'd given their argument a finality that rang true.

She maneuvered through the people outside, thinking about how much she hated the positions that Beck Oliver put her in. And they'd only spoken twice! Why would he call her out in front of their entire class like that? Then he said that she was scared of him! The nerve of that...that..._ass_!

In just a few minutes of angry stomping across campus, Tori was at her car, throwing her things into the back seat. Reaching into the back pocket of a seat, she yanked out her Pear Pod, slamming the car door closed before viciously hitting the lock button on her keys. She turned to the music building, mentally cursing the man that had put her into such a foul mood. _I've got better things to do than worry about Beck Oliver,_ she growled in her mind. _I've got a showcase in just a few weeks to think about!_

Going over scenarios of what she'd like to say to him in her head, she made her way to the stage—which was different from the dance or acting buildings' stages—and stomped up the stairs. She plugged in her Pear Pod, searching through over two-thousand songs for one that she could belt out to release her feelings.

Because that was what she _did._ What had happened in class was something that she had never done before. For most of her life, she would channel her feelings into a song, singing it to relieve all those pesky pent-up emotions. Wasn't that so much safer than going around shouting at people?

She searched her playlists for a song, her mind going back to the days of Ryder. She wasn't going to let another guy walk all over her again, wasn't going to be the victim.

_"Who's going to date you when they think you're a total prude?" he'd asked with a harsh laugh. "You should know that guys are looking to get it in, not listen to you bitch and moan for hours about the stupidest stuff." He held her chin between two fingers, smiling mockingly down at her._

Because he'd just wanted to get into her pants, hadn't cared about her at all.

Finding the perfect song, she clicked the play button, spinning the volume up high and grabbing the microphone from the top of the speaker, flicking it on quickly.

_Channel your anger, Tori,_ her mother had once said. _Take all the embarrassment and hurt and turn it into something that you can be proud of. If you let it, it'll eat you alive._

Taking her mother's advice, she took a deep breath, bringing the mic to her lips.

_You know the bed feels warmer,  
sleeping here alone.  
You know I dream in color,  
and do the things I want._

She gave quite a performance to her imaginary audience, getting as into it as she could. Because she didn't have to worry about anyone watching her, she was starting to get more outgoing with her movements. Her mind was already beginning to drift away from Ryder and the Beck fiasco as the lyrics and melody sank into her mind.

_You think you got the best of me,  
think you had the last laugh;  
bet you think that everything good is gone,  
think you left me broken down,  
think that I'll come running back.  
Baby, you don't know me,  
cause you're dead wrong._

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,  
stand a little taller.  
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone.  
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter,  
footsteps even lighter.  
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone._

Now, she was doing everything as if Ryder were standing in front of her, like her show was for him. She would show him that nothing he did would keep her down. No, she was going onto bigger and better things, getting out of their small town and moving on into the spotlight. Soon, her hometown would forget all about her being the girl that Ryder Daniels constantly cheated on; she'd be the girl that had made it to the Hollywood A-list.

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger.  
Just me, myself, and I.  
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,  
stand a little taller,  
Doesn't me I'm lonely when I'm alone,  
when I'm alone._

She finished up with a hand in her hair, breathing heavily as her chest heaved. Just as it always did whenever she sang her heart out to whatever fit her mood.

Slow clapping erupted from backstage as she turned off the music, causing her to spin on her heel to see the intruder. Anyone who dared to come in during a Tori Vega practice was definitely _not_ in the music program and she could only think of one person that would dare disturb her.

Beck leaned against the back wall, watching her intently as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're really good," he said easily after a moment in complete silence as they stared at each other. "I should have guessed with the way Andre Harris praises you."

Turning away from him, she snatched up her Pear Pod, replying coolly, "So you went to my friend to figure out I was here? Very original." She went to the edge of the stage, taking the steps quickly to get away from him fast. The afterglow of her singing wasn't going down because he had cornered her once again.

Still, she was a little shocked that she made it to the auditorium doors without a comment from him. There was no possible way she would say that she was _disappointed_ that he didn't come after her; the emotion blooming in her stomach couldn't be that. Though another part of her was pretty sure it didn't have any other name. But she knew that sometimes she wanted things that weren't good for her, and a guy just like Ryder was _definitely_ something bad for her.

Just as she started to push the door open, however, he called, "Why do you hate me so much?"

Tori paused at that. Was that how she came off? Like she hated him? Why did it matter to her how he saw her anyways? If she could just protect herself, wouldn't that be enough?

Glancing over her shoulder at him, she spoke just loud enough for him to hear. "I know all about guys like you and I'm no idiot. You're only interested in me because you like the conquest." Tears filled her eyes at the reminder and she turned her gaze away. No reason to let him see that moisture. "To you, it's all a game," she murmured, staring at the floor as she pushed open the door. "If I give in, you'll just walk away once you get whatever it is you want."

His eyes bore into her back like a drill. "You think you know so much about me? Based off of what?"

"The fact that I grew up with—even dated—a guy just like you," she laughed mirthlessly. He started to say something, but she cut him off. "He only wanted me for one reason and when I didn't give it to him, he made me the laughingstock of the entire town."

Pushing through the door, she left without another word.


	3. Girl Next Door

Chapter Three  
_Girl Next Door_

After Tori had walked out, she'd gone back to her apartment, intending to tear Andre a new one before she went to her audition for giving Beck information on her. She'd told him to _never_ tell anyone about her random practices—or anything about her, for that matter. She preferred that no one disturb her or throw off her vibe. It was a musician thing that most people didn't understand.

She'd been a bit shocked to hear that Andre _hadn't_ told Beck anything, however. Apparently, he hadn't talked to the actor since they'd worked together the year before on some musical. "I might have mentioned that you were a fantastic singer, but there was no way I talked to him today; I don't know his number," the musician explained. "Even if I did, I wouldn't have talked to him about you. Definitely not about you." His face and voice were sincere because, outside of acting, he was a terrible liar.

Some part of her wondered if Beck had remembered that small bit of information about her after nearly a full year? Yes, the music and tech departments knew her very well, or at least well enough to know that she needed her own space, but most of the others hadn't a clue. She didn't do many musicals, took part in choir concerts and solo performances instead.

Throughout the night—after her terrible audition that was best left to the imagination—she'd tried to think of something other than the look on Beck's face as he demanded to know why she hated him. Of course, that hardly worked since he seemed to weasle into her mind at the most inopportune times.

On Friday, she finally just forced it out of her mind, slipping into Sikowitz's class unnoticed by the general populace. But he still sat next to her when their professor burst into the room, though he said nothing to her about their encounter the day before. There were no leers nor jeers, just—dare she say—companionable silence that acutally calmed her down from the nervous shivering her body did as she began thinking about that stupid audition.

Halfway through class, she got a text from Andre.

_We're going to the NoZu Club at 7. Robbie's friend Sinjin agreed to sober cab. You in?_

She typed a quick and emphatic, "Yes!" glad for the reprieve from her rollercoaster week. A drink or two might be just what she needs after the first week of the Semester From Hell—SFH for short.

And now, that's where she was, thanking the waitress for bringing her another full beer that she almost instantly began chugging. She was watching Cat and Robbie sing karaoke, a love song that was as sappy as it could be; they were staring at each other, making a spectacle of themselves. A cute spectacle, but they were definitely drawing all attention. On the other side of the club, Andre had found a girl almost the second they'd gotten there, wooing her while Sinjin was off chatting up the girl's friend about some obscure topic. Everyone else seemed very happy with their nights, so she wasn't about to ruin it for them by voicing her boredom. Since she was left completely alone at their table, she decided that getting drunk was probably the only way that she was going to be able to think about anything other than her worries.

Not an ideal coping method, but good enough for now.

Having only had a beer or two since arriving, she wasn't able to stop thinking about her failed audition just yet. Her mind had been somewhere else entirely while trying to give her all for the newest musical that the acting and music programs were putting together. She was dying for the lead—a strong, powerful sorceress that was forced to learn what it was like for the mortals she toyed with—but wouldn't mind any of the female supporting roles, either. Just _something_ in the play would be enough for her.

But she'd totally and completely bombed it. They'd asked her to read, sing, and dance for the part where Lilith fell in love with the human that made her rethink breaking the curse. That was what had killed her in the end because she couldn't do it. She drew all of her acting skills from different points in her own life, trying to draw out the emotions through empathy. So, with being in love, she'd thought of Ryder, which had made her angry, not happy. She had no doubt that they didn't think that she could handle it.

She sighed, taking another sip of her half-empty drink as her eyes once more scanned the room, catching sight of all of her friends doing their own thing. She wished that she could be as confident—or maybe uncaring—as they were when it came to those kinds of things.

"Who would have thought I'd be seeing you here?"

She jumped, choking on the liquid she'd just swallowed, as his voice came from behind her. Completely aware that his hand was splayed on her back, trying to help her force the beer out of her lungs, she threw a weak glare over her shoulder at him, furious that he had drawn such a reaction out of her. "What are...what're you doing here?" she finally demanded as her fit subsided, keeping her eyes steadily on him as he sat beside her. "Still stalking me?"

He smirked, shifting closer to her as his arm went to the back of her chair. "Just wanted to go out and get a drink or two. Now I'm glad I did." To be heard over the sound of the music as Cat and Robbie were replaced by two oddly untalented girls at karaoke, he'd put his mouth to her ear to speak, his words sliding over her like the soft touch of fingers. She could barely hold back a shiver, but wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

She had to keep her eyes carefully away from him because he was just so damn cute. The voice...the smile...the_ face_; how was a girl supposed to control herself? Though she would never tell anyone, she loved the way his flirts rolled off his tongue, the way his lips would quirk to one side when he got the desired reaction out of her. God, even the way his eyes casually looked her up and down was enough to make her mind stop working right.

No, she shouldn't be thinking like that, not about him. It wasn't a good idea to get caught up in a guy like him; hump-and-dump wasn't her style, nor did she want to be one half of it. _Fool me once..._

Glancing over at Sinjin, she wished she could go over there to get him to take her home. Of course, that wouldn't be fair; he was obviously having a good time here. Besides, then he'd be running back and forth between the apartment building and the club and she doubted that was how he'd want to spend his Friday night. Sure, he wasn't a drinker, but he definitely enjoyed being out and about. She had to consider his feelings.

Still, she really didn't feel like being out.

Just as she was about to get up, Beck muttered a quick, "Shit," before taking her beer and taking a healthy swig of her beer without hesitation. His eyes were narrowed and locked across the room, near the hall to the bathroom and he not-so-subtly pulled her seat even closer to his, blocking her in with his body. When she tried to shift away, his arm tightened around her waist, keeping her close.

Unable to disappear, Tori's gaze followed his, catching sight of a girl watching them as she strode with easy confidence towards them. Long, wavy black hair had streaks of green and blue in it, making her look like some popular singer. Dark eyes were outlined perfectly with even darker eyeliner, shadowed by black and silver on his eyelids. Her skin was pale white, blemish free, something Tori felt an immediate jealousy towards. Long legs were showcased perfectly in a black minidress and black heel-boots. Curvy hips and a thin waist—plus a bust that was perky and high—made her look like a dark goddess.

But why was she glaring directly at Tori? Her expression was that of obvious anger as she made her way over to them. Tori was struck by how _great_ the girl looked, even as pissed as she seemed. Honestly, who could pull that kind of thing off? Even better, all that anger was focused directly on the brunette. _Great, I don't even know who she is and she's furious with me. Is that death I smell in the air?_

When she would have gone to get up and flee, not wanting a conflict, Beck leaned over to breathe into her ear, "Don't worry, Tori; I'll protect you," as if it were some kind of joke. She glared over at him, wanting to hiss at him as his soft breath once again connected with her ear.

"So I guess you've only gone downhill since our breakup, huh, Beck?" the girl noted as she made herself comfortable at the table. The girl looked oddly familiar now that she was so close, but Tori couldn't get past the obvious disgust in her gaze. What the hell did Beck's ex-girlfriend care about the girl he was harassing?

_Beck's. Ex. Girlfriend._ It hit her hard and she realized that she was looking at the only girl Beck had ever dated at the university. The could-be model before her was the only girl worthy of Beck Oliver's undivided attention.

_Today is not my day,_ Tori thought to herself with a certain amount of self deprecation.

Beck shrugged at the girl's words, glancing over to Tori with a smile. "Whatever you'd like to believe, Jade." The grin on his lips nearly drew one out of the brunette as well, but she was careful to focus on the fact that the black-haired girl—Jade, apparently—was still glaring at her with the strength of knives stabbing into her stomach.

The name and face started to make sense in Tori's mind, but before she could piece it together, Jade was speaking once again, her eyes locked on Tori like a hawk's. Having lived in Girl World for her entire life, the singer knew that the other girl was holding everything that Beck said as a shot directly from Tori. No matter what happened now or had happened between the exes, _Tori_ would be held responsible.

Of course. Because that was exactly what she needed today.

Lounging in her chair like a queen on a throne, Jade said darkly, "So, you think he's just going to give up all this running around for you? Please. I'm the only girl he's ever dated seriously." With a mocking smile, she looked the brunette up and down—seeing only what the table didn't disguise—and chuckled lightly to herself. "Don't think he'll give up all those girls fawning over him for someone like you." Changing her voice into a high, southern drawl, she mimicked, "Oh, please, Beck, help out this lost, innocent country girl. I don't know what I'll do in this big old city!"

"Jade," Beck said lowly, a warning.

But Tori was lost between past and present. She'd heard words similar to Jade's before, hadn't she? Once upon a time, when she'd learned of Ryder's betrayals. Back then, she'd been shocked and saddened to hear it, barely holding back tears as her self-esteem plummeted faster than gravity. Now, however, she wasn't feeling the desired sadness; she was filled with anger. She was tired of people assuming that she was playing some stupid game to keep a player's attention, like she was stupid enough to fall for some pretty lines when she was the innocent one in all of this! She hadn't done anything and she was being blamed?

_"You're a prude, so who could blame me for going to someone that's up for having a little more fun?"_

Brushing off Beck's arm disdainfully, Tori stood from her seat, holding herself tall and strong. "Honestly," she replied, letting none of her anger show through in either her voice or expressions, "I really don't care. Whatever happened between you two is for you two to talk about. I have nothing to do with any of this." She turned away, taking several steps before pausing. Then she cocked her head to look over her shoulder at Jade. "Oh, and next time you want to tell someone how ugly and stupid they are, remember that you're making yourself look bad. Because I haven't done _anything_ to you."

Jade's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth dropping open to spew more venom, but Tori was already turning on Beck with a sarcastic grin. "Thanks for the chit-chat. It's been real swell." Giving an exaggerated salute to them both, she added, "See you when I see you. Or not. Either way."

Then she strode away, moving towards the door as she pulled out her phone. Sending a quick text to each of her roommates, she told them that she would just take a taxi home because she wasn't feeling well. After the confrontation with the beautiful but rude Jade, she wasn't in the mood to hang out with anyone or even drink alone. Going home, curling up in her bed, and sleeping all this away sounded like perfection. Wallowing was more her style anyways.

_Obviously, I was right from the beginning,_ she thought in melancholy. _If he used to have someone like her, of course he doesn't want me for anything other than to get his rocks off._

It wasn't as if she had hoped he would date her or anything. Still, it was a rather big ego deflater to be given solid evidence that the guy chasing her was really only trying to get in her pants and nothing more. It was probably a good thing that she hadn't actually started to like the bastard. _Even though you did,_ a small part of her chimed from some forgotten corner of her that still had hopes for something like a fairytale.

When someone followed her outside without a word, she didn't glance up from her phone, just continued fiddling with it so the intruder wouldn't bug her. Not because she was hurting or anything; what did it matter to her if Beck only wanted to have sex with her? It wasn't like _that_ was going to come true. She just didn't want to be bothered with his paranoid ex's rudeness. That was all.

Hope definitely hadn't been flickering on inside her that maybe he was different since their impromptu meeting the night before. It wasn't like she could picture herself having actual _fun_ with him. Even as just a friend.

A lean hand covered the screen, gently pulling it from her grasp as tears started to fill her eyes at the thought of her stupidity. "Tori," he said slowly as her head remained ducked to keep him from seeing the moisture on her cheeks.

Did he have to do this? God, couldn't she just get one break? Her tears weren't for _him_; they were hers because she wasn't good enough to be anything more than a part of a round of wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. She wasn't anyone's special someone, just like Ryder had told her way back when. _"Sure, you're good looking, but all of us know that you're a prude. No one wants to be with someone that won't have sex with them."_

"Tori," Beck said again, strong this time. His fingers caught her chin, bringing her stubborn eyes to his. She could have sworn she saw compassion there. "I didn't know she would be here, if that means anything. Don't take what she said to heart; she's just upset because of—" his gaze dropped away for a brief moment, like he was hiding something "—well, it's a long story. But she blames you and that's not right."

Her eyes searched his, a part of her wanting to push him away. To shout at him. To tell him everything that she didn't like about him.

But after the battle she'd had with Jade—though it was a little one-sided—all she could see was how kind he was being. Just like the day before when he'd caught her singing, that flashiness that seemed to be a constant part of him was gone, melting away to show her a brief glimpse of the real him. His words rang with genuine emotion, his face lighting with it.

And she couldn't lie and say she didn't enjoy what she saw.

Unable to control herself, she put her hands on his cheeks, pulling his face to hers. As his eyes widened in surprise, her lips collided with his, forcing him into a kiss full of her mixed emotions. For a second—just this one second—she let herself feel, let herself go. At the moment, all she wanted to do was actually feel like something she did mattered.

Once her lips met his, he froze, too shocked to respond. But in a flash, he was kissing her back, his arms wrapped around her as his hands pulled her even closer. His mouth moved against hers in a sensuous tease, dragging even more of a response from her that she didn't try to fight. For once, she was getting what she wanted without thinking of the consequences.

Without thinking about the fact that he was more like Ryder than she was comfortable with. Or that he had a beautiful ex who was psychotic and put Tori to shame. Even the fact that he acted inappropriate towards her from the very first wasn't crossing her mind.

But she didn't know if she could handle the sudden feeling blooming in her chest.

Everything was rushing back into her mind as his fingers tangled in her hair to hold her even closer, a small moan that matched her own escaping his lips as he backed her towards the wall of the building. His tongue flicked at her mouth, asking for entrance as she realized that she couldn't handle the emotion coming to fruition.

Her eyes flew open in recognition of what she was feeling, widening in shock and disgust with herself as the sound of the taxi honking its horn exploded in her mind. Hands dropping to his chest, Tori shoved against Beck, tears filling her eyes.

Keeping her gaze from his, she breathed, "I...I have to go." She bolted to the waiting car, not bothering to look back. Because the worst thing she'd been feeling in that kiss had nothing to do with any leftover anger with Ryder.

No, it was really hope in Beck.


	4. Need You Now

Chapter Four  
_Need You Now_

On Monday, Tori spent the day lounging in bed, doing nothing more than berating herself for her rash behavior. Maybe a little bit of avoiding the problem was going on as well, but she just couldn't see him. Not now.

Was she an idiot? She'd practically jumped him on the street after she'd been telling him she wasn't interested. Mixed messages were a bitch, she knew, and she had just thrown them in his face. Even though she knew that he didn't want something meaningful to come from it, she had been ready to do whatever he asked, whatever he wanted. One moment of weakness could have given her a lifetime of regret; she wasn't the type of girl that could do a one-night-stand or casual fling.

If she was, she could have done that with Ryder.

She'd thought she'd been in love with him because he was her first real boyfriend. They'd been together from tenth grade to the month before Senior Prom and everything had seemed perfect. Because she wasn't ready, she'd kept herself at a distance, only giving in to a few heated make-out sessions in his car. He'd told her that it was fine, that it didn't matter.

But it had. He'd been sneaking behind her back almost from the beginning and she was the only one that hadn't known in their small town. Completely oblivious until the day that his latest fling announced it in front of the entire high school in the hallway, wanting to get a rise out of Tori. Emily had thought it was Ryder she was getting back at; he'd broken things off with her the night before, telling her that she was getting too attached.

Yet Tori was the one broken.

When she'd gone to call him out on it, he'd laughed in her face, calling her a prude and stupid. How hadn't she seen it? Hadn't she realized that he was only with her because she was beautiful and her parents were loaded? Of course he didn't want to stay with her; no one would if she wouldn't have sex with them.

She hadn't dated anyone since, had no plans to in the near future. She had to become something bigger than that small town. She had to take complete control, show everyone that she wasn't "poor Tori" anymore. Then she could think about dating.

Not before.

A knock on the door snapped her out of her daze, making her jump a little as she shifted to sit up in bed. Cat's voice came through as the door crept open and the redhead's face poked in. "Tori?" she whispered loudly. "Are you awake?" The look on her youthful face was full of concern and an obvious intention to make everything better. "Robbie's mom sent over some of her brownies. They're fresh! And they've got the peanuts in them that you like, too!"

Tori couldn't help giving a small smile at Cat's natural exuberance. The smaller girl was practically bouncing at the mention of sweet, much as she always did. Still, the brunette was too lost in her past, in thoughts of Ryder and the possible parallels between him and Beck. Curling her legs to her chest with the smile breaking on her face, Tori said, "Thanks, Cat, but I'm okay. I just haven't been feeling well. I think I'm going to sleep just a little bit more."

The girl's face fell with disappointment and she slowly inched back out the door with her eyes on the floor. In a small voice, she replied, "Oh, okay. I hope you feel better soon." Closing the door gently behind her, she was careful not to make too much noise which nearly tore Tori's heart from her chest.

She hated upsetting her friend, but she didn't want to end up explaining her past or the situation with the others. She had always taken care of things herself, especially when she had been the one stupid enough to believe in a guy like Ryder. Besides, she didn't want anyone to know about that. The fact that she had actually believed in someone that everyone had warned her about made her feel so disgusted with herself. Like she was a used tissue that was easy to throw away.

Turning back onto her side, she burrowed further into her bed, sighing. She knew that she shouldn't take so much of the blame on herself, should trust her friends more. But it was so hard for her to acknowledge that part of her life. Even just thinking about it was enough to quiet her, to draw her back into that time when Ryder was the moon and stars.

And right now, she was a little too emotionally unstable to do that.

-.-.-.-.-

She woke up from another nap to the sound of the buzzer going off, signaling that the apartment had a visitor. Closing her eyes, she tried to go back to sleep, desperate to go back to the dream she'd had of a white knight coming to save her. Unfortunately, voices outside her door wouldn't give her that.

Able to distinctly hear Andre's voice but unable to decipher the other, she assumed someone was, once again, asking him to help write a musical number for a play or concert. They got a lot of people coming and going for that reason; the young musician's tunes were coveted by most of the people on campus, though he generally only took on one or two projects a semester. Unless something _really_ caught his fancy, of course.

She smiled, remembering that had been how they'd met and become friends. He'd written the lyrics and scores for the first musical she'd been a part of nearly four years ago. After her audition, he'd stood up, pointing at her to say, "This is her! I'm telling you, she shows the emotions in the song that I'm trying to get across!" The director had reluctantly agreed and the musical had been the first in the school's history to be brought back four weekends in a row because of ticket demand.

Her stomach rumbled and she glanced at the clock, surprised to find that it was almost eight o'clock. How had she slept so late?

It had been a long time since she'd missed even one class; now, with the entire day gone, she felt...lazy. But better. Maybe one day off in the scheme of things wasn't as big a deal as she had once believed. Besides, she'd obviously needed it, otherwise she wouldn't have slept so much, right?

Not to mention the empowering feeling of knowing that she had chosen this, that she had taken charge. That the consequences were completely hers.

But she definitely needed to email her professors with at least a small explanation of why she'd been missing all day.

That was just common courtesy.

Letting her feet slide to the floor, she sat up, glancing around the room for her pink and purple laptop. Usually, it sat on top of her organized desk, next to the perfectly-piled books and binders. Seeing as it wasn't there, she stood, searching under everything in her room for the elusive technology. When it was nowhere to be found, she couldn't help the bit of panic she felt as she wondered where the hell it could have gone; Toshiba's didn't run around on their own and she never took it out of the apartment.

Thinking back on the last time she'd used it, she realized that, on Sunday night, she'd taken it out to the living room and must not have brought it back. With a sigh, she pulled her unruly hair into a pile on her head, settling her glasses better on her nose. Her matching tank top and shorts were comfy and perfect for the warm, seventy-two degree interior of their large apartment, keeping her cool but cozy.

She poked her head out the door, noting that Andre's door was close as well as the one for Robbie and Cat's shared room. Breathing a sigh of relief—she really didn't want to come face to face with anyone—she stepped out, padding quietly down the hall towards the side table where her personal computer sat. Walking past the kitchen without so much as a glance, she grabbed her laptop quickly, turning back towards her room.

"I was hoping I would get to talk to you today."

Jumping in sudden fear, she spun on her heel to look up at Beck. Who was standing directly behind her. In _her_ apartment. Leaning against the archway to the kitchen like he owned the place.

Her heart leaping in her chest as her eyes met his, she breathed, "What...what are you doing here, Beck?" That cool gaze held hers and she couldn't help remembering their kiss, a flush coming to her face.

This needed to end; she had to tell him off for the last time. No more of this push-me-pull-me, this game of cat and mouse. It was time for her to put her foot down, the only way she'd be able to explain her actions to him. She was attracted to him, yes, but she wasn't interested in doing _anything_ with him. If she didn't do this now, she might never be able to. On her home turf she was stronger, could hold her own better.

Before she could do so, however, he spoke. "I asked Andre to let me come over so I could talk to you," he answered easily with a shrug. As if it were no big deal that he was in her apartment, staring her down. Pushing away from the wall, he strode straight past the shield of her personal bubble, a movement that made her back up a step. "He took Robbie and Cat out so I could talk to you alone." When her face fell, he held up a hand, waving it off like it was _no big deal._ "Don't worry; I didn't tell him anything more than absolutely necessary. I doubt you would ever forgive me for that. And he threatened me if you came into an bodily harm." He smiled at the small joke.

But she didn't feel like she could reciprocate. Swallowing hard, she took another step back from him, holding her laptop close to her chest. "We have nothing to talk about," she muttered, keeping her gaze intently over his shoulder. "I wasn't myself and I did something I regret. People do that a lot, I hear."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his eyebrow raise and his mouth tighten into a thin line for a moment. "So you didn't skip your classes today to avoid me?" he asked, his voice low and ringing with something she couldn't put her finger on. It made her want to look him straight in the face, to see what he was up to in that head of his, but she didn't trust herself with that. The last time she'd run on instinct with him, she'd practically thrown herself on top of him and she couldn't let that happen again.

"Of course not," she replied quietly. Her eyes moved of their own accord to his shows: black hightop Converse. Somehow she knew this was standard Beck footwear. "I wasn't feeling well today." Half true, she supposed; at least he couldn't see the lies or insecurity written all over her face.

"I don't believe you."

As she opened her mouth to argue the point, his fingers went to her chin, pulling her face up to his so she had to go to her tiptoes. His lips pressed down on hers with vicious ferocity, like he was trying to force the truth out of her. Before she completely processed what was going on, his tongue swept against her mouth before diving inside. He had her backed into the wall, trapping her with a forearm on either side of her head.

At the sudden sensation, she gasped, barely able to contain an unconscious moan. He took advantage of the openness, bringing her even closer until they were completely pressed together. She couldn't stop her fingers from digging into his shoulders, her head falling back to give him better access.

Feelings she'd never felt before—not even with Ryder—tore through her like a tornado, wiping out coherent thoughts as well as all her reservations. Now her fingers were tangled in his hair. Had a kiss ever felt like this before? Had she ever felt needed—wanted—so badly?

As his hands moved up her back beneath her shirt, she arched closer to him, loving the feel of his slightly callused hands on her skin. He was so close to pushing her past all reason with those hands, those long fingers that squeezed her against him. And if he kept kissing her with such fierce need...she might lose her mind and do whatever he asked. Even if it was just for a night, just for right now. She would throw it all away.

His lips suddenly slowed against hers, his eyes opening as he pulled away, leaving her...empty. She cracked open her own eyes, breathing heavily from the feelings that had been invoked with the kiss. She hadn't felt like this with Ryder, with anyone, and she had been ready to give him whatever he asked for. Anything at all.

Now Beck might be able to take everything from her without a word.

The thought made her tense, taking a step away from him to put more distance between them. As his eyes narrowed, she swallowed once again, trying to find her voice as she kept her back to the wall. "I... This needs to stop," she said, hating the weakness in her voice and knees. "I already told you I don't want to do this. Not with you." _Because you're more lethal than Ryder ever was._

His face bland and his voice matching in tone, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? Because I really think that this is something that neither of us can stop." Moving towards her with slow, even steps, he nearly devoured her with eyes that raked over her, taking in every bit of her appearance. A slow smirk crossed his features. "Are you really going to deny what you feel? Because your words say one thing and you body another. You can act like you don't feel it too, but I know you do."

She nearly growled at that, regaining her backbone. "I'm _telling_ you that I don't do whatever my hormones tell me; I actually think things through for myself." _Sometimes. _"And I know that I _don't _want to get involved with someone like you. I just want to get through Sikowitz's class and move on with my life."

He watched her thoughtfully for a moment and she knew he was searching for a crack in her armor, something she hoped he would never find. She couldn't afford for him to get past it, not if she wanted to have any self-respect when all was said and done.

Finally, he said quietly, "You sure have a lot of ghosts following you around." Then he moved quickly to trap her in the corner of the hallway, making her catch her breath in shock. "Go out with me on Friday. On a real date. You can get to know me before you start judging." Resting his forearm on the wall above her head, he held her gaze as a small grin captured his lips. "You might like what you find, you know."

Another swallow. God, he was attractive. But she couldn't let him win. "This is t-terrorism, you know," she breathed, wary and alert.

He simply laughed at her, waiting for her answer. "If you tell me you really don't like me after the date, I'll leave you alone. We can just be friends and move on from all this."

Now she had options to weigh. One date or have him bothering her until she said yes anyways? If she could get this out of the way quickly, maybe life could return to normal just as fast. No more Beck flirts or taunts. No more glares from the girls in their class that were part of his fanclub. Instead, everything would be normal again and she could finally stop worrying about him making an appearance. She could just focus on becoming a great popstar.

So, despite the warnings going off in her head, she murmured, "Fine. Where do you want me to meet you?" _Go into this as equals; don't give him complete control._ She needed that little bit of control. Desperately.

"Uh uh," he replied, waving one finger in front of her face as if she were a child. "A _real_ date." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips to shock her into silence. Giving her a full, lopsided smile, he said, "You're getting the full Beckett Oliver treatment, which means I'll pick you up at seven. Don't forget to wear something pretty." His hand cupped her cheek for a moment as he practically beamed happiness into her brain before he turned to the door, leaving without another word.

She simply stared after him, feeling as if she had just walked into a trap.

-.-.-.-.-

_All right, I've been asked for faster updates with this. I finish the chapter after next before posting this one because it gives me a chance to edit and re-draft. Please be patient!_


	5. Somebody To Love

Chapter Five  
_Somebody To Love_

The next three class periods with Beck were hell, pure torture. Though she'd agreed to go on a date—one date!—with him, he'd been even more relentless than ever during their acting exercises, always finding a reason to touch her in some way. After class each day, he would walk her to her car with an arm around her shoulders or waist in an obvious sign of possession that was quick to get on her nerves. He spent more time in her apartment with her and her roommates each day—which didn't bother Andre, Cat, or Robbie a bit, seeing as they loved him.

Of course, it was kind of cute, she had to admit, seeing this more affectionate less perverted Beck. She only told herself, but that was enough.

Within a day, she started hearing the rumors that flew about them. The rumor that they were seeing each other exclusively, that she had finally tamed the never-date. Because Beck Oliver—one of the best actors in the entire university—was now "dating" Tori Vega—the singer from the music department that was always "stealing the show". In between classes, when Beck wasn't with her, people from all over campus would tell her how absolutely fabulous she was, how her voice sounded like an angel's, how she was the most talented person in the music department. And they really, _really_ wanted her to be a part of their musical, they wanted her to sing their song, so on and so forth.

Was this all really because they believed she was dating Beck? Is this what people meant by "sleeping your way to the top", though she had no intention of sleeping with him? One date and a few days of him attaching himself to her hip didn't constitute a relationship. Certainly not one deep enough for her to give him something so important and meaningful to her as her V-card.

Now, however, it was nearly four o'clock on Friday and her last class of the day was just letting out. By the time she got back to the apartment, she would have three hours to get ready, which was more than enough time to prepare for a first date that doubled as the last. She wasn't about to let Beck think that this would change anything.

As she walked out of the music building towards her car, she felt a tap on her shoulder that nearly made her shudder. She really was sick of people coming up to her and telling her how great she was—they hadn't done it before this debacle with Beck, now they couldn't get enough of her. But she couldn't just ignore someone like that; she didn't have it in her.

Turning with an insincere "thanks but no thanks" prepared on her lips, she was shocked to find Jade standing there, impatiently crossing her arms over her ample chest. For a moment, Tori said nothing before stuttering, "Uh...h-hi, Jade. Did you...um...need something?"

"I'm not her for idle chit-chat," the black-haired beauty replied in a bored tone, as if she had been put up to this by someone else. "Cat asked me to apologize. Apparently you're one of her roommates and she doesn't want things to be weird." Jade stopped there, giving Tori a look of expectancy after a few moments. Her brow furrowed before she broke the stunned silence. "Well?" she demanded. "What do you have to say?"

The brunette nearly jumped at the tone of the other woman's voice. "Sorry!" she answered quickly, blinking at the usually rud_er_ girl. She couldn't believe that the word "apologize" came out of Jade's mouth. "It's just...I thought you didn't like me." Did she _have_ to sound like a four-year-old?

Jade gave one low laugh void of any humor. "Of course I don't like you. You just dug right in to my sloppy seconds and I find that pathetic." She tossed her hair over her shoulder, expressive eyes avoiding Tori's. "Unfortunately, I'm friends with Cat, so if I want to hang out with her, that now includes you. And she doesn't want things to be weird, like I said before." The dark-haired woman gave the other a look of obvious distaste before, wordlessly, turning away.

"Wait!" the singer said, grabbing for Jade's arm. As the semi-goth woman turned her head towards Tori, the girl asked, "Is that all you wanted to say? Despite all the rumors?" _Playing with fire here, Tor,_ she warned herself. This conversation was taking a turn for the worst as she willingly plunged off the cliff. The fact that Jade was being nice was a blessing and she shouldn't let it go to her head; the filmmaker could just as easily go right back to her usual self.

Jade looked her up and down, one eyebrow raised. "Wear something girly," was all she said before turning back and striding away.

Tori was shocked to say the least. Had Beck's crazy ex just given her a tip on how she should dress for their date? Jade didn't seem like the type of girl that would let anyone take what she thought was hers; so why would she help the other girl out?

Unless she really wasn't helping her. Which would mean she would seem like an idiot if she wore the girly outfit suggested. But if Jade was being completely honest, then Tori would want to wear it. It might mean the difference between a good and bad date.

No. She didn't want to _attract_ Beck to her. She just wanted to look good.

Because that was what girls did. Even if they didn't like who they were going on a date with, they would still dress as perfectly as possible so others would notice how beautiful they looked.

Signing, Tori turned back towards her car, hating how difficult the whole situation was. Not just getting ready for the date or deciphering Beck's ex's words, but just wondering what Beck was expecting. Did he really think that she would fall at his feet? Did he think that she would just forget about all the things that he could possibly do to her if she let him in?

She wasn't about to let him walk all over her. Not even if he begged.

-.-.-.-.-

Six fifty-five. She had five minutes to calm her pesky nerves before Beck arrived and she would have to bear through the date. He had called it the "full Beck Oliver treatment", but it felt like it would be a trip to hell.

Glancing down at herself, she smoothed the light dress over her leggings, shifting to better situate her knee-high boots. She'd done minimal make-up and let her hair fall naturally around her shoulders. The bracelet her mother had given her for her birthday flashed on her wrist as she played with it nervously, her eyes closing as she took a deep breath.

It was going to be a long night.

_Just calm down and stay alert,_ she told herself. _You might be attracted to Beck, but that doesn't mean that you're going to jump him the second you're alone. In fact, you'll probably just get a free dinner out of this and be on your way. Doesn't that sound nice?_

Yes. Because any college student will tell you that free food is a godsend.

"Tori!" Cat said in her usual child-like tone, bouncing towards her friend excitedly. Her red hair was pulled back from her face in a high ponytail and she wore a light pink sundress, her hands clapping together in front of her. "You look so pretty. Doesn't she look pretty Robbie?" the redhead asked as she leaned into him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. When he just smiled in response, the petite girl elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Tell her she's pretty!" she whispered vehemently, her eyes cutting to him briefly as if Tori couldn't hear her clearly.

"You look very nice, Tori," Robbie agreed, his smile faltering as he tried to sneakily rub his abused ribs. His words brought an immediate grin to his girlfriend's face, which seemed to help him forget all about the pain. "I hope you have a good time on your date," he added sincerely.

She gave a small smile in return, though it didn't reach her eyes. Because she was secretly terrified. "Thanks, you guys. Is Andre still here?" she asked, hoping to change the subject quickly as well as get her best friend to make her feel better. Especially since this was mostly his fault. "He told me he was going out tonight, but I didn't think it'd be so early." She could really use his level head right about now; she felt like she was going off the deep end.

Cat glanced around, eyes widening in surprise as she saw no sign of their other roommate anywhere. "Andre's gone?! Where did he go?!" A look of pure terror crossed over her features as her hands went to her face. She began frantically murmuring to herself, trying to figure out what could have happened to him as the worst case scenarios tumbled out of her.

"He's out on a date, Cat," Robbie reminded her patiently, hugging her to calm her. A small grin played on his lips at her antics. "You set him up, remember?"

Eyes blinking for a moment, the girl gave a smile. "That's right!" She turned back to Tori with a gasp. Her eyes glittered with anticipation. "If his date goes well tonight, we could have triple dates, Tor! How much fun would that be?! We could go to the movies and bowling and …."

As Cat continued describing all the things they could do as couples, panic grew in the pit of Tori's stomach, her face falling. Were people expecting that of her? Did they think that she would just fall for him instantly, that no one could resist the great Beckett Oliver? What would happen if she didn't _want _to be with Beck? Would it upset her friends? Would she become Public Enemy Number One on campus?

This all was a mistake. She couldn't have agreed to go on this date with him. There was too much that could happen, that could go wrong.

What if she actually started to care about him and let him in? What would happen to her then?

Two sharp knocks on the door caught Tori's attention, making her head swing around as it was slowly pushed open. She wasn't entirely surprised when she found Beck's face smiling back at her and her roommate as he stepped inside the apartment. Hie eyes raked over her, flaring as he took her appearance in. It was easy, even for her, to realize his intent, to decipher where his thoughts were going. It made a bright flush cross over her cheeks, though no one but him seemed to notice.

And she knew, in that instant, she shouldn't be going on this date. Not with him. Because that one look made her feel...titillated.

"Hey," he said, waving a hand in greeting to her roommates. "How have you guys been?" He gave a lazy grin as his hands went to his pockets, his pose giving off utter relaxation as Tori felt more and more tense. How the hell did he do that? Was it because he knew he looked so good?

He wore a white beater beneath a black and gray flannel; he had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. A pair of dog tags hung from his neck, swaying slightly as he moved. His jeans were held up by a black belt that matched the material and color of those Converse of his. His hair was in disarray as if he had just run his hands through it to style it.

As he leaned idly against the doorframe, she felt the odd urge to grab her camera, to snap a picture of him. He looked like a model standing there, the light of the hallway giving him that untouchable/bad-idea look. How could a man be so attractive with so little effort? How was that fair to the rest of mankind?

"Beck!" Cat cried, flying across the room to give him a tight hug. Pulling away immediately after he returned the embrace, her mouth started moving a mile a minute. "The three of us were just talking about setting up a triple date! You and Tori, me and Robbie, Andre and—"

"Look at the time!" Tori interrupted so her date didn't get any ideas, moving to push him away from her rambunctious roommate. "Don't wanna be late to dinner!" she cried as he started to plant his feet, just wanting him to get away from Cat and Robbie's influence.

Beck chuckled at her, wrapping an arm around her waist as they moved towards the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he called back to Cat, "Text me when you've got the details! We'd love to go!"

His use of the word made her want to growl and snap her teeth like a rabid dog, to tell him where he could stick his assumptions. There was no way that she was going to let him just say what he'd like to lead people to different conclusions than the real one.

As she mumbled to herself that they weren't a "we"—never would be—they crossed into the parking lot and she knew immediately: the black Pontiac was just flashy enough to fit in with his style and fit his cool-and-laid-back persona. She almost wanted to turn and run when he helped her in, even closing the car door for her. If Beck was a gentleman, she was probably going to forget about all the red flags he raised in her mind quickly.

They took off quickly, though she remained stubbornly silent as she waited for him to say something. If he spoke first, she might be able to detect what direction this date was going to go in without much trouble, which was incredibly important to her.

She wished she had her sister's ability to be rude to anyone she didn't like—or anyone at all, for that matter—since it seemed to be how Trina got guys she wasn't interested in to back off. It would be an indispensable gift to be able to tell him what she thought of this whole date without holding back in the least. Still, she didn't have it in her to do so; she might be able to throw out witty comebacks, but she couldn't purposely set out to hurt people's feelings.

"So, tell me something new about yourself," Beck said after a few minutes, breaking the quiet of the interior of the car. "I already know you're always singing—and you're great at it—that you are incredibly rude to strangers who want to help you out, and"—he gave her a sideways glance accompanied by a cocky grin—"you secretly like guys with 'big, air-filled heads'." When she shot him a withering look, he merely laughed, turning his gaze back to the road. "Is there anything else I should know about Miss Victoria Vega?"

Shooting him a dark look, she wondered what he was playing at. Should she even bother telling him anything or should she just let the question go? Did he really care about getting to know her or was this just another part in a plan to get her out of her pants? Either way, she wasn't falling for any tricks.

But what did she really have to lose? She wasn't going to let anything go farther than tonight's date; she could tell him anything, really, and it wouldn't matter.

And that was when she knew what she would tell him. Something that would turn him off to the idea of her forever. Something that would make him regret giving her that ultimatum to get her to go out with him.

Turning her attention to the windshield, she told herself that if she was going to do this, she was going to go as far as possible. Besides, once he found out one of her biggest secrets, she had no doubt that he would turn around, drop her off at home, and never bother her again. All it would take is a couple words and he wouldn't know what to do with himself.

"You were right the first day we met," she said quietly, her cheeks flushing despite her stubborn streak.

"That you would change your mind? Of course I knew that. I wouldn't have given you my number otherwise," he answered easily, another arrogant grin on his lips. "Besides, this is a date, you know. We're supposed to get to know each other, not ourselves. You've still gotta tell me something about yourself."

She rolled her eyes. "That's not what I was talking about. And this date is just to get you off my back!" she reminded him with a vengeance. She was losing her nerve, but she knew that she had to tell him what she really meant. Which would make her say that dreaded V-word that usually clogged up her throat. Swallowing hard, she murmured, "I'm still a virgin and I plan to keep it that way."

Almost immediately after she spoke, Beck started coughing like he had swallowed something wrong and he pulled over to the side of the road to regain himself. His eyes flew to hers as he croaked, "You're a virgin? For real?" He looked her up and down incredulously, as if the thought were so foreign to him, as if he would find a physical marker of her innocence. "_How_?"

She stiffened, keeping her gaze locked on his to show she wasn't embarrassed, even though she was. _All the way, Tor_, she thought to herself. "Though it's none of _your _business," she grumbled, "I'm waiting until I'm in love and ready to be with that person forever. There's no reason to give up something so precious just because society says you should."

He froze beside her, rigid as his jaw clenched. For a brief moment, she watched as anger warred with something else on his face and she started to shrink away from him. The movement caught his attention and he shook his head, trying to calm himself obviously. "So that guy from before didn't make the cut, then," he said, his tone almost back to its usual laid-back sound. "I guess I should be thanking him."

"What? Why?" she demanded, turning towards him furiously. What could he possibly be thankful to Ryder for? That he could get away from a crazy girl like her?

His hands grabbed her face, pulling her towards him so he could give her a brief, fierce kiss. When they broke apart, her heart thumping hard in her chest as her mind slowly came back to her, he kept his eyes locked on hers.

"Because now I get you."

_Quick question to my readers: would you prefer if this stayed T and there was an excerpt for any sexy time or should it become M and keep everything together? I haven't completely decided myself and I would like to know how you felt about this._


	6. Monster

Chapter Six  
_Monster_

She'd been speechless as he pulled the car back onto the road as they made their way towards their destination, which she found out was a small, family-owned restaurant that seemed so...out of place in Los Angeles. To say she was shocked by his choice of venue would be an understatement; shouldn't he have chosen a seductive place to bring her? At least, if his intentions were what she believed, this brightly-lit, family-oriented place wasn't right. Wasn't it supposed to be dim with slow, sensual music playing in the background? This place was far too comfortable for her to not second-guess her view of him.

They were sat in a booth near the front of the building in the very corner, two windows next to them. A kind, middle-aged waitress smiled down at them as she offered them menus and told them about the beverages that they had. She joked with them a bit about coming so dressed up—though this was mostly directed towards Tori—before going to grab their drinks.

As Beck glanced over the menu, murmuring about a breakfast sampler, she couldn't help studying him. He was so at ease here with her, despite the things he'd said in the car. Was it so easy for him to get back into his natural swing of things after his confession? She would have probably turned back around, dropping off her date without another word after such a thing. Was he really so unaffected? He didn't seem to be fazed in the least, she noted.

She could hardly get control over the racing of her heart at the memory of his words. What had he meant by "now I get you"? That didn't make any sense! He was _supposed_ to be put off by the fact that she was a virgin, not actually _like_ it. Besides, did he even mean what he'd said? Maybe he liked the thrill of the chase, of going where no man has ever gone before—so to speak. Was he playing a game or was she really misunderstanding him?

Taking a deep breath, she attempted to turn her focus to what she would eat, but her mind kept wandering to the man across from her. How could it not? He pushed her every button, tricked her into dates, said things that embarrassed her and made her crazy...

And he was the most attractive guy she'd ever met.

"Are you still looking at the menu or do you know what you would like tonight?" the waitress asked as she placed Tori's iced coffee and Beck's lemonade in their respective places. She pulled out a Guest Check pad and pen, ready when they were.

Beck returned her grin, but not before giving Tori a sly look that told her what _he_ wanted that night. As she fumed in silent fury across from him, he closed his menu, answering easily, "I think I'll have the breakfast sampler with pancakes, hashbrowns, and scrambled eggs." His voice was confident, as if he had been there many times before and knew exactly how everything worked around there. Turning his head back to Tori, who was frantically trying to decide on something so that it seemed like she had been actually looking over the menu, he asked pleasantly, "How about you? Know what you want?"

Maybe if he didn't look so damned good, she would be able to tell them in that exact moment... "I'll have two slices of French toast and a side of bacon, please," she said to the waitress quietly, a smile she didn't entirely feel on her face. She handed over her menu delicately before turning to her coffee.

As her mind began to drift over what she should say to let him know she _absolutely, one hundred percent_ was not interested in him, she noticed him shift out of the corner of her eye, making her wonder if she should just bolt. She didn't need this whole fluttery-butterfly feeling, and she _definitely_ didn't want this little tryst to go anywhere.

Suddenly, Beck's feet caged hers and her eyes shot up to catch his. "Sorry," he answered, not looking a damned bit apologetic. "It looked like you were going to run away. Couldn't let you ditch our date, could I?"

Could the man read minds or something?

In that moment, though, with a lopsided grin pulling at his lips and a mischievous twinkle in his eye, she felt the need to kiss him again. What was it about him sitting across from her, being as sexy as it was possible for a guy to be, that just made her...

Well, made her want him?

Still, she knew she couldn't think that way, had to get a handle over her body. One date was all she had promised and one date was all he was going to get. No matter how good-looking he was, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that there was a wolf behind that handsome face, grinning with long fangs that would tear her apart. If she dared to trust him, he would probably munch on her heart a bit and spit it out in front of her. In her experience, charming guys generally had a trail of broken hearts behind them to testify to that fact.

"This date," he said as his eyes briefly hardened, "is about getting to know each other. This isn't about a seduction or having sex." Again, was he reading her mind? It was like he knew what she was thinking without her speaking a word, something that made her incredibly uncomfortable, to say the least. But, as quickly as it had shown itself, the hard light in his eyes disappeared, replaced by something more easy-going. "So, tell me about where you grew up."

She blinked in surprise at his abruptness, a blush coming to her cheeks as she glanced around to see if anyone had heard his talk about sex. Luckily, everyone seemed to be more focused on their own conversations than that of the pair seated in the corner and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her gaze cut to his, narrowing. "Could you please _not_ shout stuff like that?" she hissed, hoping her eyes didn't waver like the rest of her was. "I don't want everyone here to know that you are trying to get in my pants."

Did his eyebrow raise of its own volition or was he actually giving her a "seriously?" look?

They sat for a moment in silence, just watching each other before he spoke again, enunciating clearly. "You were about to tell me about your hometown...?" he said, blatantly calling her out. Had he really just ignored her? And he had better not be waving a hand at her to encourage her to start, like she hadn't spoken at all!

Calming herself, she listened to the little voice in her head that whispered, _You already told him you still have your V-card in your back pocket, so why be embarrassed about this?_ Though a name played through her mind, she answered, tone aloof, "I come from a teeny, tiny town in Nevada. I doubt you've ever heard of it because the most prominent festivity in town is the football homecoming game."

"Yeah, I don't know much about Nevada," he admitted, smiling as he leaned back in his seat. "I grew up in L.A. and I've never really gone on any vacation or anything. I like my little piece of California." There was another pause, as if he expected her to keep the conversation going, but she said nothing, simply watched him. Grin broadening, he added, "I don't understand the big deal about football either. I went to the performing arts high school that is connected to the U's programs. Were you a cheerleader, then, bouncing around with pom poms all the time? No, I bet you were the girl that sang the anthem at the games!" he corrected himself triumphantly.

She couldn't help laughing at that. "No, actually, I didn't start singing outside my shower until..." She stopped, realizing that she was going to tell him about Ryder in that moment. Picking a different strategy, she said, "Until the end of senior year, actually." It wasn't hard for him to notice her hesitance and she could tell that he was about to ask her the whole story. Instead, she decided to tell him more about her choice of colleges. "I was actually supposed to go to the University of Nevada the following fall when I got scouted by HAU at a club I performed at. They offered me a spot and I decided to take it."

"Why was that?" he asked as she sipped her coffee. "If you only just started performing—outside your shower, that is—weren't you nervous?"

Now that she'd started talking about her decision, she couldn't hold back the truth. No one had ever really asked about it and it gave her a chance to study her own reasoning. "I wanted to get out of my town, out of the state," she admitted. "It just seemed like it could be my shot, you know? I was nervous, but I knew in that moment I wanted to do something bigger. It sounded like the best option."

"So you came to the U to escape small-town life?" he asked, eyes suddenly knowing all too much, though he knew far too little.

"Not at all," she answered before she could think about it. "I love my town and most the people in it, but I wanted to show the people I'd graduated with, the ones that pitied poor Tori who got cheated on by Ryder for two years. I want to become the biggest popstar anyone's ever heard of so they stop looking at me with pity whenever I go home. I want them all to think, 'Ryder's an ass for giving up his shot with her.'"

"His name's Ryder, huh? The guy who hurt you, I mean."

At Beck's words, she froze, her back rigid against the seat. How had he gotten her to say so much when he'd asked so little? It was like she couldn't stop her idiot mouth from moving! And she'd been led there like she was on a leash by a guy she'd sworn she wouldn't let have any information on her! The fact that he could do that to her couldn't possibly be a good sign.

Clearing her throat and moving her gaze into her coffee to avoid his eyes as a flush beat over her cheeks, she mumbled, "Yeah, I guess. But he went off to college, too, so he isn't there anymore." Why she added that, she didn't know. It made it sound like she was still hung up on him when she really just couldn't handle seeing the guy.

Whenever she went home, she was terrified that he might be there, that he might show up. Though he had never been in town at the same time as her since her graduation—he'd taken a year off before going to college—she knew that there was a first time for everything. She just couldn't bear to think that they would come face to face before she had achieved her goals. Or at least before she'd gotten ahold of herself around him and no longer wanted to cry or rage at the mention of what he'd done to her.

"Do you still love him?" Beck asked after a moment of silence, his voice low and demanding. Almost threatening. If she hadn't known better, she would have believed that he was actually _angry_ at the thought. Could Beck Oliver be jealous of her past relationship with Ryder?

She glanced up to meet his eyes, but swiftly averted hers once again. It was impossible to hold his gaze while she talked about the stupidest moment she'd had in her life. "I wasn't really in love with him. At the risk of being cliché, I was in love with who I thought he was. And I guess I always will be." She shrugged it off, looking at him from beneath her lashes. "But I've heard that's what the first love is like. No matter what they've done, a part of you is always theirs."

Something flickered in his face as they watched each other. She could see the agreement there, the mutual understanding, but she thought she could also see jealousy, frustration. She wasn't completely sure and she had no doubt that she would second-guess herself in the morning, but now she would bet that they were lingering there, too.

They didn't have to sit in silence for long; their food was delivered with easy banter between them and the waitress. Both joined in this time, insincere smiles and pain hidden behind their eyes. The woman must have saw it because she quickly excused herself, leaving Tori and Beck to eat with only minor speaking involved.

And even then it was only platonic pleasantries. It was as if the entirety of their date were nothing more than a forced meeting between two near-strangers that had happened upon each other.

After the bill was taken care of—by Beck, who refused to let her go Dutch—they were back in his car, surrounded by that uncomfortable quiet, and she was certain they were back on their way to her apartment. He'd probably leave her with little more than a goodbye after what she'd saidd. He was probably put off at being with her, in any sense.

Broken goods aren't something people covet.

But then they missed the turn to her building. And the back way. Soon, they were on the interstate, heading towards the city limits. The fact that they were not saying a word was enough to put her on alert, especially since she was learning quickly that she couldn't know exactly what he would do or what he was planning.

Which could be good or bad. Unfortunately, driving out into the middle of nowhere after a crap-tastic date wasn't exactly inspiring her confidence in him.

"Wh-where are we going?" she asked, trying to gain her bearings. She needed to figure out where the hell they were in case she had to call for help.

Beck glanced at her with a grin that seemed almost...nervous. "Since our dinner didn't exactly go as I planned, I figured I'd take you to my favorite place. It overlooks the entire city and, I must say, Hollywood is beautiful at night."

Tori's eyes widened, surprised that he didn't immediately want to ditch her and head home to call one of his many "girl friends" that she'd heard about. Was that a...smile playing on her lips? Did she secretly enjoy this persistence from him, this time they were spending together? She hadn't thought she was the type of girl to go for push-me-pull-me games that they seemed to always be playing.

As she watched him from the corner of her eye, she knew that it would be very easy for her to get used to this, to have fun with it. Someone that didn't instantly back down, that tried to make things better before they could get worse; she hadn't had much of that in her life.

_Maybe we can be friends,_ she thought. He really was fun to be around, but she couldn't risk getting too involved with him. The fact that they could spend time together made him even more frightening than Ryder had ever been.

Yet she found herself caring less and less about that.

"How long until we get there," she asked quietly, trying not to show any signs of her new mini-epiphany. No, that she would keep to herself, at least for now. If things went downhill, she wouldn't have to go through the embarrassment of knowing that he knew her budding feelings for him.

Gaze a little wider at her easy attitude, he glanced at her, having expected much more of an argument from her. "We're, uh, actually here now," he said as they came to a stop on top of a cliff. He got out quickly, offering her a hand as she started to slide out. "Come on," he said, winking as he regained himself. "I promise you you'll like it."

Taking his hand, she stepped out, letting him lead her by the hand to a spot that really did overlook the entire city. Not the mention the Hollywood sign that shown brightly across the way, the letters large and proud as they stood against the dark sky.

Her breath was taken from her at the sight before her. It made her wonder why anyone _wouldn't _love this town. Lights flickered in the distance, whether from cars or buildings. There were also two pillars of light waving around, ushering people to some kind of concert or premiere. This was the Hollywood she had envisioned when she'd been accepted to HAU. She had been sick of the life she'd led up til then and now she was finally seeing what she had always dreamed of. She'd never been able to do this before, to _see_ this before. And now she was.

Beck sat them both down, keeping her close to him on the grass, though she hardly noticed as she fought to commit the entire scene to memory. Even when his arm wrapped around her to draw her closer to his side, she merely gave him an absent-minded smile, her eyes only briefly leaving the horizon.

"I'll take that as a 'I really like this place, too, thanks for bringing me here'," Beck teased, his arm tightening for a moment. He leaned to murmur in her ear, "I'm glad I could share it with you, Tori."

His whispered confession took her mind off the lights of the city, making her blush as her eyes found his. It was like he knew exactly what to say to draw her in, to make her guard drop. If he had said anything else, she might have pulled away, but the fact that he'd wanted to share this with her was almost more than she could bear. It was hard to believe this might just be a game of his.

_He could mean it,_ she thought as the memory of him telling her that he was thankful Ryder had screwed up replayed through her mind. Her eyes darted to his lips as her own parted, though she didn't know what she might say. Now, in this moment, she wanted to kiss him again, whether this was a ploy or not. Even if she would regret it in the future, she wanted to give him this as a thank you. She'd seen the most beautiful sight of her life because he'd taken her there, no matter the reasoning behind it.

Her hand met his cheek, pulling his mouth to a break from hers. "Thank you," she murmured before giving him a chaste kiss.

They lingered for a moment, both pulling away hesitantly. As if they didn't want the moment to end.

Beck leaned his forehead against hers, that knee-weakening smile crossing his handsome face. He watched her carefully for a moment, his eyes searching hers. What he was looking for, she had no idea, but there was definitely something probing in his gaze. His words almost didn't even catch her, at first, though they made her blush deepen.

"So, I guess this means I get a second date?"


	7. Just Friends

**Disclaimer: **I do not own "I Miss The Misery" by Halestorm.

**Note: **I do not use the full lyrics below. But I do suggest you go check it out. Also, I know this isn't Tori's (or Victoria Justice's) usual type of song, but it just seemed to fit her feelings at the time.

Chapter Seven  
_Just Friends_

Two months had passed since their first date and Beck made a point to be with her as often as possible, despite the fact that she made it clear that they went on dates but they weren't dating. Almost every day of the week, he could be found at the apartment, hanging with her friends, or taking her to coffee. Sometimes, he even just lounged around the music department, waiting for her to finish practicing. He seemed to enjoy plotting a triple date with Cat, as well, helping her keep track of Andre and his as-of-yet anonymous girlfriend.

Of course, Tori was beginning to enjoy his company a whole lot more than she should have. Walking to classes with him at her side was strangely calming and became a daily thing, whether their classes were close or not. In her mind, they were just friends, though the entire campus seemed to think that they were the next power couple, even going so far as to give them a couple name like Brangelina. They were Bori, which sounded oddly cute.

Even if a lot of the girl's jealous of her pointed out that it was the beginning of the word boring. Not that she cared; haters gonna hate!

When Spring Break came to be only a week out, they weren't ready in the least. They'd been so immersed in their classes that they hadn't even thought about where they would go or what they would do; Beck only said that he wanted to be with Tori during the break.

But they'd all had their fills of wild beach parties and getting hammered in Florida. So when Tori's mother invited the six of them—Cat, Robbie, Beck, Tori, Andre, and his girlfriend—to stay in their guest house for the week of Spring Break, it came as a godsend. Even though it was a thinly-veiled excuse to meet her daughter's "boy friend, not boyfriend", Mrs. Vega's invitation was something they'd all gladly accepted.

And it meant that they would get to meet Andre's girlfriend for the first time.

Or, at least, Tori would. She had a feeling she was the only one—Beck included in her number of friends—that didn't already know the other woman's identity.

Which was strange in itself. All Andre's past girlfriends—or passing flings, like Miss Kiss A Lot—had spent a good deal of time with her, trying to get on her good side. Because she _was_ his best friend.

Some had been obvious in their pursuits at her approval with invites for girls' days at the spa or shopping. Others had let her know right away that they were jealous of the "Tandre" connection that they should have known they could never fully put a stop to. Her favorite case of love-hate with one of his girlfriends, however, was when the girl waited for Andre to go to the bathroom, then poured her drink all over herself. When he came back, she cried crocodile tears, blaming Tori for her ruined hair and makeup.

Needless to say, that had ended rather quickly.

None had lasted much longer in their endeavors for Andre's heart. This new girl was a personal best for him; it had been at least two months of them dating and he hadn't even begun to get bored. Maybe he had finally taken Tori's advice on what kind of girl to look for.

He'd obviously needed a different type of girl in his life. If he wanted a long-term relationship with someone, they needed to share common interests and ground. Since he'd lost his parents when he was far too young to, he'd wanted someone to love as deeply as his mother and father had loved each other. An honorable goal, but one he couldn't meet with the "I wanna sing one of your songs" girls he'd taken to dating.

Not to mention the breast to personality ratio they had going on.

Sighing at the thought of his parade of women from the past, Tori sincerely hoped that she wasn't opening her home to another girl like that. A whole week with someone who tried to get by on looks alone would be more than enough to drive her insane. And that was the last thing she wanted.

_Need to focus on packing,_ she reminded herself with a shake of her head, forcing thoughts of the mystery girl away. Glancing to her nightstand, she snatched up her checklist to do a final run through before they had to leave. She closed her mind to anything other than the paper in her hand to avoid being distracted once again.

She'd done a good job of disappearing into her head, apparently, since she didn't notice when Beck came into the room, watching her for several minutes before striding towards her with a grin on his face. His arms wrapping around her waist from behind to pull her into his chest was the only thing that made her realize his presence.

"Still got some stuff to pack? I hope it's a sexy present for me," he murmured against her ear, something she'd grown used to in the past few months, though she couldn't stop the blush spreading across her cheeks at his insinuation.

It was getting harder and harder to keep him at arms' length. Though she turned down most of his advances with a quick reminder that she had no intention of putting effort into a relationship at that moment in time, it didn't stop him from acting like a boyfriend. He would bring her flowers and steal kisses from her whenever he had the chance. He made a point to say suggestive things to her when no one else could hear, just to watch the blush blossom on her face. And yet she couldn't be mad at him for his attempts, could actually feel her resolve breaking a little more each day.

When she pulled away to turn to him with a scowl—she had to at least keep up appearances!—he simply smirked and gave her a wink. His hands slid into his pockets as he rocked back on his heels, reminding her, "We leave in fifteen minutes and we're leading the pack. Robbie and Cat are in the middle so he actually goes the speed limit for some portion of the trip."

She crossed her arms over her chest, though a smile threatened to break out on her lips. She would never admit it, but she loved this playfulness with him, knowing that—no matter how much he might want her—he was definitely, one hundred percent, letting her set the pace for them. "Oh? And how did I end up alone in a car with you?" she demanded, though her voice lacked bite.

That was something she was nervous for, however. Over the months, she'd began trusting him more and more until she counted him among her closest friends. But the decision to actually drive in three separate cars had unnerved her, to say the least. A ten hour car drive with just the two of them made her wonder if they would have anything to talk about when he couldn't tease her, if she would bore him with anything she might say.

Because she didn't want to lose this easy camaraderie with him.

"Only seemed logical," he replied easily, though his probing eyes were searching hers for the reason behind her discomfort. Hadn't he thought about it himself? Hadn't he wondered if they were going to bore each other to death with this long—too long—car ride? It was an easy conclusion to come to, no matter who you were. "Couples ride together," he added as he moved to stand toe-to-toe with her, smirking down at her. With his lopsided grin in place, his hand cupped her cheek, filling her senses with…Beck. "It's just easier that way and no one is whining on the way down."

Yes, but Beck and Tori—no matter what anyone else thought—weren't a couple, were they?

Before she could do more than open her mouth to ask that very question, Cat burst into the room, full of energy and probably sugar as she smiled brightly. She practically bounced in place as the couple in the room turned towards her, the redhead oblivious to what she had walked in on. "Andre says he'll just have to use his GPS to follow us," she announced airily, wrapping a strand of her hair around her fingers. "He texted me to say they were running late." Her eyes widened at Tori just before she rushed over, knocking Beck a step back so he wasn't in her way. "You look so cute!" she gushed, forcing Tori to spin for her. "I've never seen that outfit before! Is it new?! You went shopping without me?!"

The brunette flushed, wary to admit that it was, in fact, brand new. Since she'd learned that she would be riding down with Beck to her hometown—and her mother had hinted that Ryder may or may not be skulking around there, too—she'd wanted something comfortable yet cute to wear. Jeans and a T-shirt would have probably sufficed, but she wanted something…better. More girly to show off who she was now versus who she was then.

The sweatsuit, though high on her budget spectrum, had fit the bill, practically calling to her when it had been on the rack. It came straight from Victoria's Secret's PINK collection. The bright blue color had set off her favorite assets immediately: naturally tan complexion and long dark hair. She'd put a pure white tank beneath her tighter-fitting, zip-up hoodie and the Capri sweatpants showed off the length and toned muscles of her legs beautifully. She'd instantly felt confident in the ensemble and it had only increased when she'd gotten ready that morning. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and her make up was minimal.

It made her feel comfortable in her own skin.

As she opened her mouth to answer, Cat's phone suddenly went off, beeping from an incoming text. The smaller girl pulled it out of her pocket, reading and replying with a child-like grin on her face. "All right!" she cried, pumping her fist as she looked back up. "Robbie's got our car ready and we're set to head out!" Her eyes found Tori's as she practically jumped into the ceiling. "We're going to Nevada! Woo!" she shrieked before dashing out of the room, continuing with the mantra before she slammed out of the apartment.

"Someone's excited," Beck intoned dryly, bringing a smile to Tori's face. She turned towards him as he sipped up her suitcase, taking it off her bed and bringing it to his side. He returned her grin, reaching out his free hand to her. "Any other bags you need brought down? This one is huge, but you're a girl; you've probably got five more hiding around here somewhere," he added with a teasing gleam in his eyes as his hand remained outreached.

Not knowing what to do about the offer, she blushed wildly. "You really don't have to do that," she replied quickly—too quickly—moving to take the case from him. "I can handle my own—"

He raised an eyebrow at her, tightening his grip on it as he moved it from her reach. "Now, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you carry your own bag? I've got this; it isn't _that_ heavy." When she started to argue with him, he merely leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, taking her hand in his. "You really do look cute today, Tori," he murmured, his voice husky. She could see the desire in his eyes, held her breath in anticipation of something else, _anything_ else, that he might do.

When he simply turned on his heel, pulling her after him to stride out the door, she felt oddly unfulfilled and hoped it didn't mean what she was sure it did.

He was bored of her already. Maybe "boring" really did describe their relationship.

-.-.-.-.-

"_This_ is what I needed after such a long drive," Robbie said as they walked towards the bar in her hometown. "A relaxing night out with my girlfriend and my best friends without having to worry about classes the next day? I couldn't ask for anything better," he added, dragging a giggling Cat close to his side.

They'd made it to the Vega home at about seven in the evening, taking an hour or so to unpack and relax a bit as they watched Beck charm Tori's mother. Mrs. Vega had already met the others on several occasions and was more interested in the "cute boy" Tori had brought home.

Andre and his girl had decided to meet them the next day since he had been struck with inspiration to finish a song before they got to Nevada.

So the quartet decided to go down to the bar—which had invested in karaoke quite recently—and unwind for the night before the full week they had ahead of them.

The car ride had been rather uneventful, with only a few stops here and there to make sure that no one's bladder exploded on the ride. Tori and Beck had simply turned up the radio whenever the conversation died, allowing her to sing underneath her breath as she worried about the ending she was sure was coming to her and Beck.

Those worries still berated her as they walked behind Robbie and Cat, who always made her wish that she had someone to cuddle up to, but the silence surrounding her as she walked with Beck made her realize that she was probably not going to be with him—in any way—for much longer.

Watching the couple in front of her, she couldn't help the envy filling her. Despite their pasts, families, and eccentricities, the two looked so happy together. Theirs was definitely a love born of friendship and it was impossible to not want it for herself. _Someday_, she promised herself.

Even if the image seemed to have a tall, lean frame with dark, wavy hair striding throughout it.

As they came closer to the bar, Beck's arm fell to her shoulders, hugging her close. His hand rubbing her arm comfortingly, he asked quietly, "You okay? You've been acting weird since we got in the car."

How was she supposed to answer that? "Yes, because I think I might actually want a relationship with you that you obviously don't want"? Or maybe "My mom warned me that the ex who broke my heart is more than likely in town"? No. She wasn't going to ruin this night out for him or her friends. They were going to have some fun in her hometown and they were going to do it right.

She pasted a smile on her face as she gently disengaged herself from him. "Just weird to be home, I guess," she answered as they moved through the door to the bar. She couldn't let herself fall apart, not here, not now. A week of fun and then she would deal with all the other stuff.

He frowned, opening his mouth to admonish her, when her name rang out through the room, a chorus from several of the hometowners.

Several regulars came up to her almost immediately, asking how she was and if she would be working at the bar again. Carrying on polite conversations with them, she told her friends they could start their tab under her name; the night was on her. She just had to say hello to some people.

As she made her rounds to the people she'd grown up with or around, she couldn't help feeling Beck's eyes follow her. That knowledge sent a ripple of…something she wouldn't name flowing through her. But she had to ignore it because she wasn't going to give it up when he was obviously just about done with her. She had to be strong despite how she might feel for him.

This reaction would have to be pushed out of her mind, at least for the night. She had a week on her home turf to decide what was going on between them, how long it could potentially last. This was her chance to spend some time with him that would tell her why she felt the way she did and if it made any sense. Then she could decide what to say to him, work up the courage to do so.

After pleasantries were passed to all her friends in the bar, she returned to Beck, Robbie, and Cat at their table, explaining who certain people were. Some of the girls she had graduated with came over to meet Beck—though they covered it with obvious excuses to ask her how she was—hut his attention never seemed to fully waver from Tori.

It gave her a small confidence boost since one of the girls had been the one to tell Tori of Ryder's cheating and she was pretty sure that they had all slept with him at some point. It made her feel like she wasn't quite as lacking as she had once believed that Beck didn't really care about their attention.

The reminder of Ryder's betrayal thrown in her face so blatantly, however, was enough to throw ice water down her back. She hated how they threw their little jabs at her as much as they could. How was that something to be _proud_ of? They'd had a part in making her feel like nothing would ever be okay again and yet they dared to _joke _about it? As if it were nothing more than a practical joke?

She glanced at the mike waiting just across the bar. It was her go to, the only thing that made her feel in control. When she was on stage, she could do anything, be anyone. When girls got in her face, she could go up there and be strong, be strong.

"I'll be back," she murmured to no one in particular, standing from her stool. Full of anger, of disgust, of sadness, she strode over to the mini stage, murmuring a song that had always worked to drag her from her pity party to the operator.

_Oh, I miss the misery._

She caught eyes with Beck, feeling the surprise that flowed instantly through the bar. But she didn't care. This was the song that had always made her better and, for the first time, she would perform it.

_I miss the bad things,  
the way you hate me.  
I miss the screaming,  
the way that blame me.  
Miss the phone calls,  
when it's your fault.  
I miss the late nights.  
Don't miss you at all!_

As the song continued, she listened to the whistles, the encouragement, letting the music come over her with its hard yet comforting melody. She continued on with the song, furiously letting her frustration out with every lyric, every note.

_I don't miss you, I miss the misery!_

The music ended around her and she was breathing heavily. But pride still filled her at the applause and cheers echoing through the room. Her eyes locked with Beck's, however, noting that shock had given away to his own pride. In her.

A small smile played on his lips as he whistled and clapped his hands. He stood, making his way towards her even as she started towards him, wanting to meet him in the middle. All that pain and worry was forgotten then as the adrenaline pumped through her from her performance. She didn't have to worry about tomorrow or the next day right now. She could just focus on him and be happy. For right now, she had to let herself be happy.

Then the bar went quiet.

A little shocked at that, she followed their gazes, her heart stopping for a brief moment as her face paled. She didn't want to believe who she was looking at, but she knew it wasn't a terrible nightmare. It was reality and it stopped her cold.

"Looks like someone really put those lungs of hers to work since I last saw her."


	8. According To You

Chapter Eight  
_According To You_

Tori froze in shock and, if she was being completely honest, fear as Ryder stood in front of her, smirking like he always seemed to be. His raven's-wing black hair shone even in the low lights, just long enough to begin to wave around his collar. Those almost-black eyes flickered with that strange, disconcerting pride he always wore around him like a king among peasants. His bright white smile was a contrast against his black-and-leather outfit that looked too good on his muscular frame. His height alone was enough to give him presence in any room; add to that mixture his achingly good looks and air of confidence and all eyes were on him.

The singer's tongue caught in her mouth, every possible scathing retort she'd imagined for this inevitable meeting was thrown out the window as she returned to the girl she had once been. The one that had nearly been broken in two by the man in front of her.

She wanted to run and hide, to forget the devastating embarrassment that came flooding to the surface. She could feel everyone's gazes locked on her, knew they were filled with pity and sympathy, as well as laughter from some.

What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? Despite knowing that everyone was waiting on her reaction, she couldn't think of anything to say, anything to do. She was completely at a loss and that burning humiliation rose within her once again, making her want nothing more than to crawl in a hole somewhere.

She'd been wrong. She couldn't do it. She shouldn't have thought that she could go through this. She didn't _want_ to go through it. Couldn't fate have given her just a little more time to become strong enough to tell the bastard off? Didn't she deserve a small reprieve after everything she'd been through?

Her breathing was growing heavier as panic set in. She had to go, had to get away from him. If she ran now, what was the harm? It would be so much worse if she stayed because she knew that her lungs would collapse from strain, her mind going to mush. The room was too small and too big at the same time; he was too close but safety was too far. Everything was too dark yet too bright, like she had a spotlight shone directly on her. God, what she wouldn't give to just disappear.

Then she felt a comforting arm around her waist, could smell a familiar scent wafting up to her nose. She realized that everything was going back to normal as calm over came her, a refreshing breeze against the painful memories of the past. When Beck's voice rang out, relaxation completely overwhelmed her and she sank into the feeling like she would a freshly washed blanket.

"Yeah, she's the prize of her program at school," he said easily as she glanced up at him, catching her eyes with his. The smile he gave her was more than enough to lull her back into her comfort zone, to remind her that everything would be just fine if she just let it be. "Hollywood Arts wouldn't be the same without her," he added, his gaze still locked with hers.

Despite the situation she found herself in, a small blush accompanied the feeling of—no, she wouldn't think of that now, not when Ryder stood just before her. She needed to focus on where they were and make it through _this_ before she could allow herself to even contemplate what was going on between her and Beck.

And now she knew that there was definitely something there, on both their ends. He'd just saved her from her mortification, so that had to mean something, right?

When she turned to look back at Ryder, his eyes narrowed for a moment on Beck's hand at her hip. A moment later, that smirk of his returned, more malicious now than she'd ever seen it before. As he spoke, his voice grew louder, his obvious intention being for everyone to hear exactly what he had to say. "Ah, so you're the new boyfriend, then? I wouldn't bother; she's a prude and she's most likely saving it for her wedding night." The dark man gave Tori a once over, fully intending to hurt her with the glance. "Though she does look a lot skankier than she did in high school," he noted viciously, catching her gaze to watch pain blossoming.

Cat was immediately at her side, Robbie following close behind. "Hey, that's enough!" the girl said from beside Tori, glaring at Ryder in much the same way as her boyfriend behind her. "Don't talk about Tori that way!"

Turning his attention to the redhead, Ryder gave her a cool but interested look before saying, "Do you want my attention, beautiful? Because I'm all yours." He shot her a wink to send that innuendo home.

Robbie stepped forward then, fists clenched at his sides, growling, "Back off, asshole!"

Stepping between the two, Beck pushed Robbie back with a curt glance, muttering for him and Cat to go somewhere else. His eyes went back to Ryder, completely unreadable by anyone, his voice aloof. "A guy like him thinks he can say and do whatever he wants, you guys. He doesn't care about consequences nearly as much as we do. Nothing we say will affect him," he said, deceptively calm though Tori could feel the tension in his body as he straightened.

Stepping towards Ryder until they were nearly nose to nose, Beck answered the other man's earlier words with disdain, making his disgust known. "A real man can wait for a girl. He wouldn't coerce her or try to hurt her in any way when she said no. But I can see I'm wasting my words on some little boy, so I guess this was all just a waste of time." Suddenly, however, Beck's entire demeanor changed, making everyone in the room draw a harsh breath. His hand grabbed Ryder's jacket and he yanked him close enough to hear what he said through clenched teeth. "But if I _ever_ hear you say another bad word about Tori again, I'll be forced to retaliate."

When he let Ryder go, the two stood there silently for what could have been a minute or an eternity. About the same height, they were eye level with each other and Tori could sense a fight brewing between them. Beck's leaner frame made it obvious that he would draw the shorter stick if it came to a battle of fists and Ryder would definitely use his larger size to his advantage.

The two were rigged like dynamite; one little flame and they would explode.

Unable to take it, Tori took a step forward, hoping to disengage the two, but Ryder began speaking once again, this time his voice low and dark.

"Well, a real woman would want to make her man happy," he retorted, a hard snarl echoing in his voice. "And she wouldn't cry off because she'd know that a man with needs wants certain things to happen or else he'll find someone new to fill the role." His eyes tried to find Tori in that moment—she knew they did—but Beck just put himself more firmly in front of her. Ryder's attention back on the other man, he growled, "She would be able to take it like a woman, not have to hide behind some new guy trying to do the same damn thing."

Tori watched as fire leapt behind Beck's gaze, waited for him to throw a punch, to give some sign that the spark had lit him off. It would have been so easy for him to start the fight that had everyone tensing in wait to jump between them.

Instead, the actor's voice remained cool, collected. "I think you're living in the wrong time," he said, his hands going into his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. His body language shouted relaxation and the fury in his eyes had disappeared just as quickly as it'd shown up. She supposed it was something actors just knew how to do, that they trained themselves for. "It doesn't matter now, anyways, because she isn't with _you_. She's with me."

With that, Beck turned back to Tori, tucking her into his side before leading them back to their friends.

She was shocked. She'd never met someone who could literally knock the wind out of someone with just words. He'd completely shot Ryder down without using more than a few well-chosen words. As they walked to their seats, she couldn't help glancing back at her ex-boyfriend, who stood there, fuming, where they'd left him.

Something close to triumph filled her for a moment, but it was quickly squashed by an enormous amount of pity for him. He might never grow out of his habits and that would leave him old and alone one day with no one that truly cared about him.

Looking back to Beck, she smiled to herself, feeling courage course through her as she decided what she would do.

And it had only been two months in the making.

-.-.-.-.-

"Beck could have totally kicked Ryder's butt!" a drunken Cat slurred loudly two hours later as they made the trip back to Tori's house. She dangled in Robbie's arms, giggling when he shushed her. "Who cares if I'm being loud?! That jerk deserved it! I'm sick of guys like that! They're so _mean_!"

As the couple moved further and further from Beck and Tori—mostly because Robbie wanted to get his redhead off public streets—the two continued to argue about the volume of Cat's voice as the other two smiled contentedly at their antics. They were following Cat and Robbie from a safe distance so their soft laughter wouldn't be noticed.

They talked when the pair were completely out of ear shot, discussing school and Sikowitz. Though Tori knew what she wanted to ask him, she didn't want it to just come up; it had to be at least a little special, since she had only just made the decision. Plus, Beck would never let her live it down if she just blurted it out willy-nilly without a thought.

Two long months of stolen kisses and not-dates had her wondering what had taken her so long. And how much she could take. It had been easy to hold Ryder at arms' length in the past, but with Beck it was so much _harder_. He didn't push, but gave her the space she needed. He waited for her to make the first move and always gauged her reaction afterwards to make sure that she was comfortable.

And she loved it.

She liked the control she had, the easy companionship between them. It meant more to her than any gift he could have given her and removed any doubts she could possibly have.

Besides, she'd been getting wooed by the notorious HAU playboy; how was she supposed to combat that?

"Sorry if I embarrassed you back there," Beck said after a moment of silence, his hand going to the back of his neck as he grinned sheepishly at her. "You probably wanted to tell him off yourself, but I couldn't help it." He shot her a serious look then, his tone matter-of-fact when he next spoke. "Your ex is an _ass_."

She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her as she moved into his side, smiling to herself at the way his arm naturally went around her shoulders to bring her closer. "It's okay. I don't think I could have done much more than stare at him, to be honest." Feeling her face brighten with a flush, she kept her eyes averted from his. "I haven't seen him in years and I really wasn't prepared for this meeting." Giving a soft grin to the ground, she murmured, "Thank you for being there for me today."

His lips met her hair and she could feel his grin against her head. "Whenever you need me, I'll be there." Taking her chin in his fingers, he brought her face up towards his, leaning just close enough for their lips to almost touch. "I'm going to kiss you," he whispered with a grin.

"I'm going to let you."

That smile that always undid her broadened as he turned fully towards her, his hands going to either side of her face. As he drew her mouth to within an inch of his, he breathed, "You know, you're a pretty special girl. When you aren't shoving me away."

Before she could respond with anything more than a dropped jaw to explain, his lips met hers, moving slowly over them. It was one of those perfect slow kisses that made any girl's toes curl in response. It was meant to show sweet feelings that never failed to make a woman swoon. She could hear every word he wanted to say to her in just that touch, knew what he was trying to get across in the simple gesture.

She couldn't stop herself from moving closer even before his hands went to the small of her back, clutching her close. Her fingers tightened in his hair, though she was unaware of when they tangled there.

That was when he deepened their kiss, a low rumbling sound coming from him. The long fingers of one hand spread across her back, drawing her ever nearer and she lost herself in the moment. Yes, they were in the middle of the street at almost midnight—at least the middle of the sidewalk, to be sure—and anyone could drive by at any moment and see them. They were in her hometown, wandering the streets back to her house after an altercation with her ex earlier.

But none of that mattered at the moment. With Beck kissing her so perfectly, how could it? All she wanted was for this time between them to stretch on forever. She never wanted to give up the feelings that accompanied that desire and attraction between them.

It gave her courage and confidence. Not just with him, but in every aspect of her life. She'd never felt more beautiful, talented, and lovable than she did with him.

Pulling away just enough to smile into his eyes, she couldn't help noticing that goofy grin on his face. She loved the knowledge that _she_ had put it there, that _she_ was the one he was giving that small piece of him, even if it was only for right now. All her past worries and insecurities were gone, replaced by a feeling of contentedness she had never felt before.

For once, she belonged completely with just one person.

"Beck," she breathed, not wanting to break the moment with words, but knowing she had to. This would be the only time she would have the courage to say what needed saying. _Now or never, Vega,_ she told herself before taking a deep breath. "I…are we dating? Like, exclusively?" she asked, all the words coming out on one hard exhale as if it would make it easier.

It didn't.

But there it was on the table. No euphemisms, no dancing around the truth of what she wanted to know; just a straight forward question posed in a way he couldn't misunderstand.

Her heart nearly stopped, though, when he stared at her in shock for that almost-too-long second. When he stepped back, putting his hand to his mouth, she could hear her heart start breaking in her chest.

She'd been wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. All the feelings had been from her end, part of her delusion that someone could actually like her back. That she deserved time with a man that wasn't all about sex. God, she was so stupid! How could she ever believe—

Was he _laughing at her_?

Blushing furiously, she turned away from him, hating that she had gotten her hopes up for another jerk. He was laughing at the fact that she wanted a real relationship? Fine. She was over it. And he could find his own way back to her house; she would lock the doors so he'd have to sleep on the lawn. That would show him.

She moved to take a step forward, but Beck stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, turning her back to him. She wanted nothing more than to scratch his eyes out, show him what she could do when someone made a fool out of her, but the happiness in his eyes stumped her. No gloating, no disgust or mocking. Just…happiness.

"I'm sorry," he said with a smile on his face, "I didn't mean to laugh. Honestly, you just caught me off guard."

Okay, so he was still laughing at the prospect of them being together. That wasn't a big deal, right? She could get over that since she'd caught him off guard. She just hoped that he wouldn't see the pain in her eyes.

But then he said, "I thought that's what we were doing from the start."

_Crappy ending, but I wanted to get this posted on Thanksgiving! Also, the next chapter will be up in a few days since it took me nearly a month to update. -.-' I'm so sorry about that!_


	9. My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend

Chapter Nine  
_My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend_

The next day, the two couples—hoping to fill the time as they waited for the absent Andre and his girlfriend—spent the entire day doing everything they could to stay out of Tori's small hometown…and away from Ryder, even though the brunette didn't understand why it was such a big deal. She knew that Cat's suggestions of going out to lunch, the mall, and maybe a movie—probably adding in a club later in the day—was supposed to keep Tori's mind off the altercation with her ex. The redhead was trying to cool any lingering tension by avoiding the problem.

Surprisingly—or not, considering the elation train she was riding on—the singer didn't care whether they saw Ryder or not. In fact, the thought of him hardly even bothered her anymore. At least, not with anything but annoyance. Now, she was simply worrying about her new boyfriend, not the old. It was liberating and all too necessary.

It was so nice to hold Beck's hand as they walked with her head held high, not having to worry about what people would think, what _he_ would think. Honestly, she enjoyed the freedom of giving him a kiss on the cheek whenever she wanted, of his arm around her shoulders in the restaurant. She definitely liked that it wasn't considered a big deal when he scooped her up in the middle of the mall, spinning her around like a princess in his arms.

For once, she was just happy in her own shoes. She was flying high on a cloud of bliss and couldn't imagine how anything could ruin it.

Later, she would have a good laugh at that thought.

But as the afternoon wore on, she had no reason to think that anything was less than perfect. Even as the sun faded into the horizon like the couples' energy, signaling that it was quickly becoming the evening, Tori saw no problem with suggesting that they head to the bar just blocks from her house to wind down for the night. It wouldn't be a drink-and-party kind of time, just a little space to sit down, have a drink or two, and calm after their rather eventful day.

Besides, it would be easier for Andre to find the bar rather than her house.

As Beck drove the quartet closer to the location of the near-fight the night before, he kept glancing over at Tori, his expression questioning and guarded. She didn't dare ask him what was wrong with Cat and Robbie in the car, but she sensed that they would need to talk soon.

Was he bothered by the fact that Ryder would probably be there to welcome them with not-quite-friendly demeanor? She should have thought about his feelings towards seeing the other man again before she ever suggested going back to the bar. Of course he would be upset by it; he'd nearly come to blows the night before with the guy. And she was dragging him back into a possibly similar situation.

But she couldn't help that she wanted nothing more than to show off her boyfriend and friends to those that had made her senior year in high school hell. She was finally able to look everyone in the eye, show them that she couldn't be brought down by people as petty as Ryder and his women.

She would thumb her nose at their rudeness, their disgust and laugh at the fact that they thought they were so much better than her.

Yet Beck's near constant glances were making her uneasy. His brow was furrowed as if in deep thought, as if wondering what the hell was wrong with her. This sudden surge of confidence that rose from within her was shocking even to her. But the openness blooming from her wasn't something she could shake off; she was returning to the girl she had been before the Ryder debacle and she loved it. Just because it wasn't the girl he was used to didn't mean he would hate it, right?

As they pulled up into the parking lot, Tori couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she prepared herself to truly come to terms with her demons. She felt predatory, almost dark, as the feeling of anticipation—and a strange hope that her past was around to try to haunt her—came over her, turning her thoughts malicious.

_This_ was the vengeance she craved, that she'd needed for nearly four years. Sure, it was a little late to expect anything to change, but it would feel so _good_ to see that look on Ryder's face when he realized that he had no power over her anymore, that he didn't matter to her. She'd wanted to show him and she would.

It was going to be the turning point she needed. It had to be.

She got out of the car without waiting for Beck to get the door for her, crossing to his side to take hold of his arm before striding inside with her head held high.

As it was the perfect time to go to a bar on a Saturday night, the place was already filling up with the younger crowd, slowly pushing out the older regulars with the music that came on. The girls from the night before had been joined by others—who were no less guilty in destroying Tori's confidence—and they all seemed to watch her enviously, the guys surrounding them doing double takes at a Tori they could hardly recognize.

Beaming brightly, she felt like a queen among her subjects as she pressed closer to Beck's side, hardly even noticing how tense he was beneath her hold. She was too engrossed in how the others were seeing her to give much thought to the man walking with her, didn't realize that there was a growing aura of discomfort and anger radiating off him.

She could, however, hear Cat and Robbie whispering behind her, though she could only make out her name for sure. It made her pause for a moment, wondering why they were talking about her at all. Was it because they noticed the sudden change in her since the day before?

Going rigid at the thought of her friends' murmurings, she tried not to let it affect her, knowing well enough that they weren't exactly the types to gossip about anyone, much less their friends.

"Tori," Beck murmured as they took over a recently vacated table. His voice was low, disguising anything he might be feeling. "Let's go outside. So we can talk. In private." His hand wrapped around hers, not even giving her time to respond with a nod before pulling her after him out to the patio.

Once the cool air hit them, he immediately spun to face her, his expression impassive and just a little bit tired.

She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, what was going on. This wasn't the Beck she was used to anymore than she was the Tori he was familiar with. Taking a step forward, she reached one hand towards his cheek, worry eating at her. What had she done wrong? Had he not wanted to come to the bar? After his near-battle with Ryder the night before, she should have made sure he was okay with coming. Instead, she'd assumed it would be fine, hadn't bothered to talk about it with him at all.

In fact, they hadn't talked about it the night before, either. After their discussion on the sidewalk, they'd walked in companionable silence back to her parents' house, curling up on the guest house's living room couch to watch movies until they'd fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder, his flung back against the cushion.

But they really did need to talk about it. Considering the grief she'd put him through when they first met, he needed to know how much it meant to her that he hadn't walked away. That he'd stuck up for her when there had really been no reason to. He could have just turned around and left her alone when she'd started dismissing him that first week of class, but he'd stuck it out with her, become her friend, become her significant other.

And didn't that mean a lot in the grand scheme of things? Didn't that mean that he had to feel something for her?

She was shocked when he pulled away from her slowly, sighing as he stepped back to put space between them. Leveling his gaze with hers, he took a deep breath before asking quietly, "Why did you ask me what you did last night?"

His words—the question itself—caught her off guard as her hand dropped back to her side, her eyes widening at the question.

Why? Was there any one reason she had? Couldn't it just be because it had felt right to ask him, to put herself out there and hope that he returned the sentiment?

No one had ever asked her why she wanted to spend time with them, wanted to be with them. Her friends never had, Ryder certainly never had. How was she supposed to answer him without possibly confusing him or driving him off? "I don't…I mean, I can't…what do you mean?"

There were too many reasons, none of which she could put her finger on. It was the way he had slipped his number into her books that first day. It was the way he had held his own against her in a battle via Alphabet Improv. It was the way he didn't give up on trying to spend time with her, even after she tried to rescind the kiss she'd nearly tackled him during. It was the way he'd slowly but surely made himself an important part of her daily life without alienating anyone she loved.

It was how he had protected her when she could hardly speak for herself.

But could he understand that? Would he ever understand that she had a million reasons for everything she'd done? No one else had ever understood her actions post-Ryder, just taking it all in stride without blinking. So how was she supposed to answer such a loaded question?

His jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed on her, as if he could read her like a book. He was unrelenting, even without speaking, demanding that she tell him all that was going on in her mind. "Did you ask me because of Ryder?" he rumbled roughly, holding her gaze hotly. "Is he the reason you suddenly want us to be together?"

Too shocked by his harsh demeanor to say anything, she felt her mouth drying as words hesitated to form.

Did it have something to do with Ryder? Of course it did; if she hadn't felt like she needed to go up on stage, to release the frustration Ryder's mere mention always brought out in her, she never would have had the courage to even _ask_ Beck what they were. And if she'd never been with Ryder, she never would have felt the need to fight off Beck's advances from here to Friday.

So she said the only thing she could think of to answer his question. The only thing that could make things right, at least in her mind. "Last night, I finally felt free of Ryder," she whispered, keeping their eyes locked so he could never doubt her honesty. "After everything that's happened, it just feels nice to not have to worry about him anymore, to worry about what he did to me. Now, all those people can see that I'm _free_—"

"This was all about showing off to all those people?!" Beck shouted, throwing his arms up with a mirthless chuckle. "The only reason you want to be with me is to show off to your ex and all the people who couldn't give a shit less about what happens to you unless it's gossip worthy?" His eyes rolled before returning to hers, angry and betrayed, a long pause stretching between them.

She could hardly believe what he was saying, what he was implying. She'd known he wouldn't understand what she was trying to get across. She'd known that he would never understand how…perfect it felt to start to move on from all the crap she'd had to deal with.

And now she was too close to crying to trust her voice to speak for her.

"He's still got a hold over you," he spoke, his voice low, quiet. "He's still the only reason you want to do anything in this town. This town where you can only trust your family." He stopped for a moment, something dawning on his face as if realizing some great cosmic truth. "That's why you invited me here, isn't it? To show me off to ll these people from your past," he muttered, gaze turning to the ground in disgust.

She couldn't believe what he said, reached out for him to get him to look at her. "Beck, that's not—" She tried to say something, to tell him how wrong he was, but he stormed back into the building before she could finish, the sound of the door closing behind him bringing tears to her eyes.

How had he come to such a conclusion? Couldn't he see how much he meant to her? Why wouldn't he listen to her?

"Trouble in paradise already?"

God, she hated that voice with everything within her. Its owner intended to drag her down to his level, to make her feel like she was nothing more than the dirt on his shoe. Had she once been attracted to the tenor? How?

She knew that if she turned around, she would be acknowledging his existence, his presence. He would see the tears in her eyes, assume that he was the cause—which, in a convoluted way, he was. But if she didn't look at him, he would antagonize her until he got the response he wanted. And he was _very_ good at antagonizing her. A master, even.

With a sigh of exasperation, she wiped her sleeve across her face before crossing her arms over her chest to turn and look at Ryder, noting that he was looking cocky as ever. "Can't you just leave me alone?" she asked tiredly. "Just this once, can't you do the decent thing?" She held his gaze, hoping that he would be a good human being if only for now.

Why wasn't she feeling bold and in charge? Wasn't this the point in time where she was supposed to face her demons, laugh in their faces? She felt…defeated, instead, worried over what would happen with Beck. This was supposed to be her winning moment, but she felt like the world was crashing down around her, crushing her from the weight of all the poor decisions she'd ever made.

This meeting with Ryder had been what she wanted before, but now she just wanted to get back to Beck.

Because he was right. Why was she trying to prove how good she was, how well off she was now that Ryder was out of her life? What did it matter when none of the people she was showing off to cared about her as anything other than a bit of gossip? Besides, she could hardly recognize most of them. Why try to gain their envy? What did it truly matter, in the scheme of things? What had she gotten out of their brief moments of jealousy?

She'd only managed to hurt Beck. Christ, she'd probably made him feel the same way Ryder had her.

The only thing that broke through to her at this point was when Ryder strode towards her with an arrogant swagger that made her want to hit him. Hard. "Oh, come on; you always used to come to me for support. Why not now?" The smirk he gave her told her how he intended to comfort her, what he was suggesting. As if she would ever jump on that invitation. "I mean, we're both adults here and more than willing." As he got that step too close, backing her towards the side of the building, his voice dropped to a husky murmur. "He doesn't even ever have to know."

As if she were thinking clearly for the first time in her life, Tori discovered the reason she'd truly been hurt by Ryder all those years before.

Had those girls said much the same to him? Had they sworn she would never find out about what they did? The girls she'd grown up with—thought she was _friends_ with—had been the true betrayers. Girls expected boys to hurt them, but not their friends. All for one and one for all. But they'd played Ryder's little game and hadn't cared about how it would hurt her. She'd been blaming Ryder alone for years when it took two to tango.

And she _was_ letting him control her. She'd hurt someone who might genuinely care for her because she wanted to show how better off she was without him.

And for what? Would that betrayal rule her life forever? Would she let that memory stall the rest of relationships until they were at a standstill?

No. Enough was enough. It was time to move on and let go.

Giving Ryder a dispassionate glance, she answered, "I think we both know that isn't going to happen, Ryder. Even if it wasn't for Beck…you and I have never been right and that's not about to change."

Had she really thought saying that would stop his approach?

Laughing at her refusal, Ryder took another step forward, pressing her against the cool bricks of the building. "But we don't have to be right, Tor. That's the thing." His face got close to hers, as if he planned to kiss her. "It doesn't mean forever if we have a little fun now."

Trying to remain calm, Tori felt the atmosphere around him changing. She felt trapped, praying that someone—_anyone_—would come outside, even if it was someone she didn't know who just wanted to have a smoke. "I won't be doing that. Not with you. Beck and I are just having a small case of miscommunication—"

"So, him but not me?" Ryder demanded, suddenly caging her in with an almost wild light in his eyes. It was animalistic jealousy shining there, a territorial gleam that made her wish that she had followed Beck inside in the moments before. "That preppy asshole is good enough to pop the Vega cherry, but not me?"

She squeezed her eyes closed as he cursed her quietly, raising his hand. She had no idea what he would do; hit or grab? Either scenario and she would scream as loud as she could, loud enough to shatter windows if it came to it.

But no touch came. There was a sickening crack of flesh against flesh, something hard meeting something only slightly less so.

Her eyes opened, shocked at the scene before her.

Ryder was pushed away from her, clutching his jaw, as Beck stood protectively between them. His fist was still held aloft, his shoulders heaving as he obviously restrained himself from doing any further damage.

"Don't you _ever_ lay a hand on her again, understand?" Beck growled. "If you do, you're going to need an ambulance to cart you out of here." Turning to Tori, he took her hand, dragging her back inside towards their friends. Robbie and Cat stared at them, wide eyed, as Beck muttered, "We're leaving. Make sure to show Andre the way to her house when he finally gets here." Then Beck was towing her out of the bar and down the street towards her house.

Tori wondered exactly what was about to happen between them.

_I know this is later than I said, but some family stuff came up. Sorry!_


End file.
